We recently got two wether's from a local goat farm. We've heard they make wonderful pets, and are hoping to use them in our local 4H club. The two half-brothers were born in April and haven't been handled much. To be honest, it has been a little frustrating trying to get these guys to warm up to us! In the week we have had them, they do seem comfortable around us. They have eaten a little from our hands, but still are uncomfortable when we try to pet them. We have spent quite a bit of time just sitting with them and talking to them, but we want to scratch their head and belly! Hoping someone out there may have an idea or some advice on how to speed up the process. Thanks!!
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Welcome, Jabe. I will pretty much second what has already been said; it can take time but it will happen. If you are just out there with them and have the treats (I use sliced carrot circles and tiny bits of apple or slices), they will start coming to you. It may or may not make a difference, but I read early on to *not* try to pet them on their heads but pet them on the sides of their shoulders. The reasoning was they are a prey animal and nervous about anything coming from above so approaching horizontally to the shoulder is the less startling contact for them. You sit out there with them and have the treats (they are food-driven it seems <g>) and it will happen. Most of all, be relaxed; they will sense if you are anxious. Before long, you'll be telling then to stop eating your clothes!
Jabe, we got 9 doelings at once 6-10 months that were pretty much wild. We can't keep them out from under our feet now. My Hubby (the rest of us too, but him a lot more) spent hours everyday BY (outside) the pen with them til they got to where they would bout knock the fence over and then we started going inside, feeding them bites of alfalfa hay cubes. We did have to sit there and break them into small bites but that was ok that is what kept us there long enough to make friends. About 10.00 for 50lbs. can buy a lot of loving! I swear by it, it worked like a charm. Using the cubes and having to break them up keeps the process slow enough so you aren't giving them to much because you don't want to overfeed them. If you feed pellets or other treats you can't feed them as much so you are not spending as much time hand feeding and that is what you want to do. We did, also use this same process with our bucks. We do it with all of them now to tame and it always works! I think it is the fastest way.
When I got my goats I just spent alot of time with them. I even brought one of my lawn chairs out to their enclosure and sat and read when I wasn't playing with them! Be patient, soon they will be in your face every chance they get!:)