Why Is My Goat Crying and Restless?

Yeeeeehaw! Goat

Ooh what’s that up there on the roof? Can I eat it? Can I play with it? Can I, can I, can I?

I got a question from a reader recently asking what might be wrong with a goat that is crying and restless. Great timing, in fact, because I myself have a goat who is crying and restless — Signorina Pasqualina.

We’ll get back to her in the next post (stay tuned!), but first, and I can’t stress this enough, it is extremely important that you know your goat when trying to diagnose what the problem might be. That is, you need to know your goat’s normal behavior in order to tell if something is off — and not all goats act the same in normal circumstances, so it can be difficult to generalize. My overriding rule is that if you feel something is off, it probably is, so pay attention. But what are you looking for?

What Kind of Crying Is It?

First of all, ask yourself: what kind of cry is it? If you know your goat, you know what s/he sounds like most of the time — and you’ll definitely know the difference between normal “Hey maaaa I’m here!” bleating and any kind of pain or distress. Quick example: when Pasqualina was just a wee kid, she got herself tangled in a cord and believe-you-me, even from a pretty good distance, I knew that bleat was not just for fun and games; she was terrified (although not injured, thank goodness).

One important question to ask at this stage is whether your goat has a buddy. It doesn’t have to be another goat necessarily, but goats are social animals, and they like company. So your goat may just be crying because it’s lonely and wants some attention. But if your goat has company and suddenly starts crying for no reason, read on.

Reasons Why a Goat Might Be Crying

Once you’re pretty sure there’s something else behind the cry other than just trying to get your attention, you should look for other symptoms or behaviors that aren’t normal for your goat so you can narrow down what might be wrong with him or her. Goat bloat is where my mind always turns when I think of goat health problems, so let’s go there first.

Watch for goat bloat!

Watch out for goat bloat, would you?

Symptoms of Goat Bloat

Other than crying in pain, the telltale symptom of goat bloat is a larger than usual (and larger than the other side), distended left side of the goat, where the rumen is located. Goats with bloat may also show other signs of being uncomfortable like teeth grinding, kicking at their sides, and just seeming generally depressed. You should put your ear up close to the rumen and check for gurgling sounds — there should be some if the rumen is working correctly. If the bloat is more severe, a goat may also have trouble breathing.

I’ll be writing more about goat bloat and other goat illnesses in the future for handy reference, but for now, know that if you think you goat has bloat, you should first check and make sure there are no obstructions in the mouth or throat; generally you can just run your hands down the throat and feel for anything out of place. You can then start massaging his or her sides to kind of loosen up the gas that’s in there, focusing on the upper left, kind of like you’re burping a baby — your goat will hopefully start making some burps, etc. and release some gas. If some air has escaped, you can then offer some baking soda to further help balance that pH in there.

For lots more detailed information on goat bloat, visit Fias Co Farm.

There are many other illnesses a goat could have, though, so be sure to check any and all symptoms before just deciding your goat is wanting attention. Here is a handy list of potential goat illnesses along with their symptoms at from GoatWorld.

One thing we haven’t touched on, though, as a reason your doe might be crying is that she’s in heat — which is exactly what we’re going to talk about next time using our Pasqualina as a case study.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
9 Responses to “Why Is My Goat Crying and Restless?”
  1. 01.11.2011

    Amazing, very informative and important post Michelle! Well done! Love to the girls! Hugs!

    Thanks so much Pam!

    [Reply]

  2. 01.13.2011

    Good information. I have to say I have some very noisy girls when it comes to being in heat!

    Haha…they sure like to let the neighborhood know 😉

    [Reply]

    Tony Reply:

    Our female is the first goat that we’ve had that wasn’t fixed. When she went in heat, for the first time, she was screaming so loud that I grabbed my shotgun and ran outside fearing she was being attacked by coyotes! We live in western Maryland and the Coy-Wolves are a big problem. I was sure that she was done for…nope, just looking for some action. LOL
    Incidently, I’ve also noticed that buck (Deer) signs have increased on our property, especially near the goat pen.

    [Reply]

  3. 02.28.2011

    I have a nubian that had a sore foot for about a week, my husband went to treat the foot and she liad down….then just passed out??? wierd she seem to be very healthy 4 year old pregnent doe. when she woke up she could breeth then died about 1 hour later, I am so confused. can someone help me understand what happend??

    Oh my, Renee, I’m so sorry! How terrible 🙁 Were there any other symptoms? Foam around the mouth, swelling around the middle, diarrhea, changes in eating habits? Have you looked at some websites with info on symptoms and diseases? Obviously nothing will bring her back at this point, but if you have other goats, it’s certainly to your benefit to investigate more:

    http://www.goatworld.com/articles/behavior/sickgoat.shtml

    http://www.jackmauldin.com/diseases.htm

    Please let me know if you find out any information so we can help others save their goaties!

    [Reply]

  4. Hilary
    01.25.2014

    Hi there
    We have 2 goats living next door to us. The male is stressed all
    The time. He paces and bleets all the time.
    He’s been doing this for 3 days now.
    I told the owner and he says they both look healthy enough
    And he can’t see anything wrong.
    But I am worried. I noticed yesterday he was
    Frothing at the mouth and I have not seen him
    Grazing at all. Can u help please.

    [Reply]

    michelle Reply:

    Hilary, is it possible that he’s looking for a girl goat to mate with?

    [Reply]

  5. Ranjit Rajbanshi
    12.06.2015

    Hallo sir ,one of my goat bleats a lot and enhance its backbone, Its did not shed its urine and dung .I cannot understand what I have to do for it.

    Pls pls pls tell about it.

    [Reply]

  6. Rozina
    02.20.2016

    one of our buck is screaming at late night to morning from a week. I had no physical injury, looks little bit dull & mild anorexia. could any one can suggest me please, what would be the problem.

    [Reply]

  7. Rozina
    02.20.2016

    and one thing its urine & dung is normal.

    [Reply]


Leave a Reply


GoatSpotting!

Goats that readers have spotted out and about. Send your photos to michelle(at)goatberries(dot)com! 

Baby the Goat in Georgia
Anguillian Goats
Goats in Central Park Zoo, NYC
Goats goats goats galore!
Tuscan goat
Goat on donkey (no not in that way)
Oman goat
Goat in tree in Africa
Testa Dura Goat Cheese
Goat at Maine Fiber Frolic 2011