Why Do Goats Flap Their Tongues? - Backyard Goats (2024)
Reading Time: 8minutes
Caprine sexual behavior can be rather dramatic and loud. Goats call out, flap their tongues, wag their tails, sniff each other (both their heads and tails), fight, and rub their heads on each other. This overt behavior stems from the fact that, in their natural environment, males and females segregate into separate herds outside the breeding season. Consequently, they have to seek each other out again when ready to mate. In addition, bucks rove from herd to herd over a wide area seeking estrous does. These extravagant displays help breeders to calculate the best time to introduce sexual partners and when to expect births.
Goats native to tropical zones are likely to breed at any time of year. However, seasonally breeding goats focus their sexual activity from early fall to spring (August to April), with the main event in fall, while in winter and spring females with failed pregnancies often mate again. Bucks become more active and eat less during August and September as they establish their rank with respect to other males, involving fights with close-matched rivals, and threats towards smaller and younger bucks. During this whole season, termed the rut, it is dangerous for males to be enclosed with close-matched rivals. Even with wethers, who automatically rank lower without having to fight, males need plenty of space to avoid conflict.
Dabbing on the Perfume
Throughout the season for goat reproduction, males emit a strong odor. This is mainly because they urinate in or over their own mouths, beards, and throats. Larger males do this more often than youngsters. This results in older and more dominant males smelling more strongly of urine and male hormones than subordinates.
The urine contains an olfactory signal of dominance as well as a scent that attracts females. The beard soaks up these odors and wafts them into the air. Scent glands behind the head exude a strong odor, which the goat rubs against branches and posts. This scent is markedly stronger during the breeding season. Like many mammals, goats use odors as part of their communication system, and can gauge the status of an individual by smell. A doe can judge identity, age, and ranking from a buck’s markings, and a male can gauge how close a female is to estrus. Urine is the main carrier of such messages in goats and many other ungulates.
After self-enurination, a buck will lift his head and perform flehmen (curling his lip upward). This procedure absorbs the liquid into his vomeronasal organ (a structure that performs a thorough analysis of complex hormones). In this way, he encourages his own virility by stimulating testosterone production. Females also use flehmen to examine complex animal scents. The male scent encourages estrus to recommence. When the buck is remotely sited, a rag rubbed in his beard can be taken to the female to sniff. This helps to trigger and synchronize estrus before introducing the buck.
Scenarios Where Goats Flap Their Tongues
On establishing contact with a potential mate, males call loudly and flap their tongues to produce the low, guttural groan—termed the gobble—that we find so comical. This is primarily a sign of intended courtship towards a doe, but can be seen in other circ*mstances.
Firstly, a buck with no female companions will likely experience a build-up of hormones with no viable outlet. He may gobble towards subordinate males or even towards humans (particularly if he is tame). He may be quite persistent and paw or even mount his companions. When raising entire bucks, care must be taken to dissuade rough or mounting behavior with humans, as it can become quite dangerous when they are grown.
Secondly, the victor of a conflict may gobble at the subdued rival, as a display of dominance.
Thirdly, a doe with a cystic ovary may persistently gobble and mount her companions. Ovulation fails, and this may be related to hormonal imbalances. Although she behaves as in continual estrus, she will not ovulate again until the issue is resolved.
The Courtship Ritual
Once met with does, the buck adopts a sexual approach posture. This is a slight crouch with the neck extended, ears forward, tongue extended, and tail upright. Courtship patterns vary between individuals, but generally occur as follows. The buck approaches a doe from behind to sniff below the tail, and may lick her. He lunges forward so that he is parallel to her body, and gobbles, twisting his neck toward her flank. He may kick up with his front leg. Sometimes his leg rests upon the doe’s back, probably signaling an intention to mount. The female may move forward a little and continue grazing. At this point, the buck may stand near the female, rest his chin on her back, or look away (signaling non-aggression). All the while, his tongue is slightly extended, his tail up, and his ears forward.
If the female is not on heat, she will move away and try to ignore him. She keeps her tail horizontal or clamped down tightly. Normally, a doe will urinate for him at this stage, so that he can sample her hormones. The male takes the urine in his mouth as she passes it or puts his muzzle on the spot where the urine fell, so that he can absorb it into his vomeronasal organ. Then he performs flehmen. If he detects no estrus, he will move on.
If she is ovulating, he will continue to court her persistently. She wags her tail, but may initially run. He pursues her, gobbling and kicking. Undesired suitors are warded off with threats and butts, and she may back into a corner to prevent mounting. If he mounts and she is not ready, she will run forward until he slips off. Once she is receptive, she will stand still while he mounts, lower her head, and place her tail to one side.
A doe may court a buck, especially a large, attractive one. She may rub and butt the buck’s neck and shoulders, while he stands still. He may then court her in turn. Copulation may be preceded by mutual sniffing, licking, and circling.
The Female Prerogative
While bucks are competing, females also test their hierarchy to see who has priority to mate. When the male or his scent is first introduced, dominant females are first to come into estrus. They monopolize the males’ attention until ovulation is complete. Lower ranking does ovulate later, so they get their chance once their queen and elders have been serviced.
Given a choice, females will favor larger, mature, dominant, large-horned bucks. Males aged 5–6 years tend to be at peak fitness and to dominate. Older males also tend to invest more time in courtship. Smaller, younger bucks are often butted away. Naturalists have witnessed this in feral goats. However, on the farm, goats often do not have a choice of mate. Their willingness to mate with any partner has made goats suitable for domestication and farming.
Unfortunately, selection for willing breeders may have disrupted the rituals that aim to protect participants from injury. We can understand the importance of hierarchy for goats when we observe that they resolve any competition and establish priority before males and females meet, so that gestures are enough to keep rivals at bay. In this way, the dominant male is allowed first access to the dominant female and others have to wait until their time comes, be that days (for subordinate females) or years (for younger males). However, many males attending an estrous female can lead to a riot of dangerous frenzied behavior in which the dominant buck loses control and the courtship ritual is lost. This is why it is important to separate mature bucks at this time.
Why Goats Wag Their Tails and Other Signs of Estrus
Does are particularly vocal and sexually extroverted compared to other female ungulates. This is to do with the distance over which they have to attract males in the wild. Does vary in how they express heat: dominants tend to display more obvious signs, while lower ranks may be more subtle. Signs include bleating, tail wagging (thought to disperse hormonal scent), frequent urination, lack of interest in food, a pink vulva, and vagin*l secretions.
Sociability levels may be noticeably different, with either an increased desire for contact or an unusual aloofness. Does without access to males often turn to each other or their owner for extra attention, and appreciate a rub and a scratch. Fighting between does may increase, interspersed with head-rubbing along the neck and body, nibbling or licking of the head or horns, and resting the head on a companion’s back, all reminiscent of courtship behavior. Does take an interest in their companions’ scents and may follow and mount another estrous doe. We can use these signs to judge when to introduce a buck. The following slideshow demonstrates some of these behaviors (in order: licking, resting head on back, gobble with leg-kick, tail-wagging, and horn-sniffing).
Signs of estrus are more obvious if bucks were absent during the summer months and return in early fall. Such management emulates the segregation found in nature, when males drift away into a bachelor herd in spring, then rove singly or in small groups to cover several female groups during the fall and winter. This natural segregation may occur because of differing nutritional needs or because females prefer to avoid aggravation from bucks while raising their kids. It certainly helps us to plan breeding and synchronize kidding to observe when goats flap their tongues and wag their tails!
Fritz, W.F., Becker, S.E., and Katz, L.S., 2017. Effects of simulated self-enurination on reproductive behavior and endocrinology during the transition into the breeding season in male goats (Capra hircus). Journal of Animal Science, 95, 4.
Ævarsdóttir, H.Æ. 2014. The secret life of Icelandic goats: activity, group structure and plant selection of the Icelandic goat. Thesis, Iceland.
On establishing contact with a potential mate, males call loudly and flap their tongues to produce the low, guttural groan—termed the gobble—that we find so comical. This is primarily a sign of intended courtship towards a doe, but can be seen in other circ*mstances.
Older goats head butt to play, but more often to fight. They will fight between themselves to establish dominance and they will take "pot-shots" at smaller goats to show them who is boss. There is really nothing you can do to get them not to do this- it's what goats do.
Goats bleat to communicate. They may vocalise when they are hungry, hurt or signalling danger to their herd. Mother goats may also call to their young kids when they get separated.
Most goats don't make much noise, but a doe in heat may vocalize more than usual. Nubians, which are noisier than most other breeds, may literally scream while in heat. If no buck (or male goat) is present when a doe comes into heat, she may make the same moaning and blubbering sounds as a buck in rut.
Goats are more aggressive than sheep. Whereas sheep tend to be fearful and shy and flee from attackers, goats are more exploratory and reactive and tend to face their attackers when threatened (Miranda-de la Lamaa and Mattiellob, 2010).
The buck is usually dominant over the female when bucks and does are allowed to run together. The presence of horns as a dominance factor becomes obvious when goats in a herd go through their daily ritual of butting heads. The goat that doesn't back down after this ritual is considered dominant.
Goats are more aggressive and inquisitive than sheep and tend to demonstrate dominance within a social grouping more than sheep. Goats display their dominance by lowering the head and pointing their horns at the subordinate animal.
The fluffy cashmere fibers puff out to surround them (that's why they look so fuzzy in winter). It keeps warm air trapped around their bodies. As long as they can keep that protective layer around them (and it's not wet or has wind cutting through it), then they can tolerate cold temperatures.
Some symptoms of stress include being off feed and/or not drinking water, tail down during good weather conditions, droopy countenance, isolation from other goats, and diarrhea.
What are the signs of a gleeful goat? A key parameter was the way the goats point their ears. They're more likely to point forward in a positive state rather than negative state. And the pitch in their call was more stable in the positive state; it didn't go up and down as much as in the negative states.
If a goat is doing something you don't want and you want them to stop, use an associative command or phrase first. If they don't listen, squirt them with the squirt bottle and they will scatter almost immediately. They will begin to associate that command with water.
They like to be held, cuddled, and adored. They also have very long legs, and can walk on them when they are born. They can jump 3 feet or more to catch up to their mom or other herd members.
Goats need a carefully balanced diet of high-quality hay, grass, 'browsings', and additional supplements. You should give them feed that's suitable for their age and breed, including: Long, fibrous food, which they need for their rumen to work efficiently at digesting.
Goats don't just bleat when in distress. They glare. A new study shows that farm goats gaze at humans when dealing with a difficult problem. The behavior hints at form of communication seen in other domesticated animals, suggesting a common behavior among tamed beasts.
According to(opens in a new tab) a new study recently published in the journal Open Science, goats prefer "positive human emotional facial expressions." That's smiling faces, to you and me.
Goats are smart animals. They make facial expressions and respond to those of other goats, as researchers are discovering. They can pick up social signals from companions and herd-mates through body language, bleating, and also more subtle expressions, such as tension in the facial muscles.
Abnormal repetitive behaviors may result, some of which may be destructive, such as crib-biting, over-aggression, and excessive rubbing or biting of self or others. Some of these issues could be resolved by adequate space, socialization, and goat enrichment.
Why Do Goats Headbutt? Headbutting is completely normal behavior, and it actually serves several purposes: play, establish dominance and set ranks within the herd, communicate warnings, and relieve stress. It's fun for goats to do and gives them enrichment play.
Try to give your goats equal amounts of affection because they are intelligent animals that can get jealous and moderately aggressive if one goat is favored over others.
They are usually afraid of water and absolutely will not wade in water (unless you train them out of this fear as young goats). They are able to go without water for longer than most other animals, excepting camels and giraffes. Some goats go into a water conservation mode if they fear water is slow in coming.
Because you may have noticed, your goats are quiet when you're not around, but as soon as you're in sight…they start in. If your goats see you as a herd member, and you're not directly with them…they will scream to you to tell you where they are (and to “get back here this instant young lady”).
They may whine at night if they detect a new or unfamiliar scent. Goats may whine at night if they are hungry or thirsty. It's important to make sure they have access to food and water at all times. Goats are natural climbers and may whine at night if they are unable to reach a high perch or roosting spot.
For example, goats make a snort-bleat sound to warn others of potential danger. They also make specific sounds when they're happy and when they're excited.
When goats are bored, they may seek out any means of entertainment. This could mean butting or chewing on fences or any debris they may find, which would lead to head injuries or stomach problems. Bored goats can become aggressive or dominating, stressing other goats or nearby livestock.
Goats absolutely love climbing on things. You don't have to spend a lot of money on a goat playground. You can upcycle old stairs, children's slides and playsets, large tires, and even dining room tables into furniture for Billy.
Goats are curious, intelligent and more than a little mischievous, qualities that can quickly get them into trouble if they feel bored. Fortunately, there are many creative and easy ways of entertaining goats to help them exercise their natural inventiveness and ingenuity without pesky problems.
If it's below 20 or if they're outside and it's windy — even at 40 degrees — they can also get hypothermia really fast and die. If a kid gets hypothermia, its sucking instinct is the first thing to go, so you'll need to bring it inside and warm it up, which I usually do by laying it on a heating pad.
Specifically for sheep and goats, heat stress is experienced when THI is at moderate (82 to <84 degrees Fahrenheit), severe (84 to < 86 degrees Fahrenheit) and extreme (≥86 degrees Fahrenheit) levels.
An only goat will often cry because they are lonely, act depressed or unsettled. Goats take comfort and a sense of safety in a friend. Dogs should never be considered companions for goats and although some goats will bond to other farm animals, we can not stress enough that goats should have another goat for a friend.
Goats learn how to solve complicated tasks quickly and can recall how to perform them for at least 10 months, which might explain their remarkable ability to adapt to harsh environments, say researchers at Queen Mary University of London.
“I have found over the years that goats are excellent listeners. They seem able to read human emotions well and if I'm having a bad day the goats will always cheer me up. They know when you're upset or happy or stressed.”
Goats dislike water, especially when they're sprayed on the face. So, when your goat is about to show signs of aggression, squirt a bottle, then flip him if necessary while the affected person stands above him. It will teach him that that person is off-limits and you're above him.
This is where an animal curls back their upper lips, shows their teeth, takes a big whiff of air and just holds it for a few seconds. They are doing this to get a huge dose of outside air, and to process what they are smelling. Goats have company on utilizing this technique to smell the air.
Indications of abnormal behavior in small ruminants include isolation, vocalization, disinterest in feed, lethargy, depression, poor stance, or reluctance to get up.
The larger herd may feed 300 meters or more from escape terrain taking confidence in the ability of the large herd to spot approaching predators. Mountain goats defend themselves by fleeing to escape terrain but they can also use their sharp thin horns to fight off a predator if cornered.
Because, it turns out, goats can read human moods and are more drawn to people who look happy. According to(opens in a new tab) a new study recently published in the journal Open Science, goats prefer "positive human emotional facial expressions." That's smiling faces, to you and me.
The main part of a goat's diet is called roughage. Roughage is usually grass or hay that is high in fiber and has relatively low calories. Because hay is low in calories, goats are designed to eat a lot of it.
Just keep offering and the trust will come. Spend 15 minutes interacting with petting and bringing them into your space. For an adult goat, put treats in a bucket or bowl and each day move closer to the treats to try to pet and give loves.
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