Farm goats are related to mountain goats, which are famous for being world-class climbers. Mountain goats can balance on ledges that are smaller than a postage stamp and can scale practically vertical slopes. So do their relatives have the same ability? Some owners might worry that their goats will climb ladders and other equipment.
As long as a ladder isn’t perfectly vertical, there’s a possibility that goats can climb it. They may not climb ladders simply because they don’t want to, but it’s within their ability. Goats are avid climbers and can easily scale stairs, ramps, and other sloped surfaces.
Goats love to jump up on ledges, climb, and play in high areas. This is probably a residual instinct from their mountain goat relatives. To learn more about the climbing habits and abilities of goats, as well as the anatomy of their hooves, read below.
Goats Vs. Ladders And Stairs
Anyone who owns goats knows that they enjoy being up in high places! If there’s something climbable in their pasture, you’ll probably find them on top of it in no time.
Man-made structures like stairs and ladders might be a bit hazier though. After all, there aren’t stairs and ladders in nature, so how would goats have evolved the ability to climb them?
Well, the goat’s skillset can’t be held back by limits like this! They evolved to live on the steepest mountain slopes, so a set of stairs is no problem for them. In fact, it should be quite easy. After all, it’s just a series of long, flat ledges that lead upward.
Goats won’t have any fear of stairs and they can easily go up or down them. The same thing is true of ramps, so either one of these can be installed in goat pens with no problem.
Ladders are a bit more complicated. These definitely don’t occur in nature! However, as long as a ladder is sloped and properly supported, most goats will be able to climb them. They have great balance and are capable of supporting themselves on the rungs of most ladders.
If a ladder was directly vertical, that would be a lot harder, if not impossible, for goats to scale. This design is good for things like electrical towers and maintenance areas. If a goat got up in those areas, it could cause a lot of trouble! Luckily, many of these industrial setups have vertical ladders that are only accessible to humans.
Generally speaking, goats can climb into most of the same places that humans can. So if you do get up on a ladder, make sure your goats aren’t following you! If they’re curious or motivated enough, goats will be able to figure out how ladders work and climb up after you.
Check out the video below to see how easily goats can climb sloped ladders!
Goat Enrichment Needs
Goats like to climb and play and will look for ways to do this. If they’re particularly bored or restless, they’ll be. even more likely to climb dangerous things and get into trouble.
It’s important to set up an enriching environment for your goats. This will keep them stimulated, healthy, and happy.
Goats can play with just about anything and you don’t need to spend a fortune setting up an enriching area for them. Some great things for a goat pen include:
- Old tires
- Large rocks
- Pallets
- Children’s toys and play structures
- Dog houses
- Stairs
- Sandboxes
- Ramps
- Tunnels
- Chew toys
- Balls
- Tetherballs/ suspended items
- Treat containers
All goat enclosures should include some kind of climbing activity. If this instinct isn’t met, goats can become restless and might try to jump over gates and fences. (Sometimes they may do this anyway, but proper stimulation can help to prevent it).
Even baby goats can jump onto the backs of adults, then launch themselves over fences. So first and foremost make sure your enclosure is secure! Goats don’t need fancy toys and play equipment to be happy, but there are still some safety measures that owners should take.
First of all, check on the condition of any wooden items. Wooden structures and toys can splinter and break, which could injure your goats. They may also contain loose nails and screws that will be dangerous for goats to chew or swallow. Make sure there are no holes or dangerous gaps that goats could get stuck in.
Smooth and slippery surfaces can also be dangerous or irritating to goats. If you’re using children’s play structures, the plastic can be hard for them to get a grip on. You can scuff the surface for better grip, or glue on cleats and other gripping material.
Your goats will love having this enriching space, and you can take a break from the mischief as well!
Goat Hoof Anatomy
Goats are such great climbers because of their amazing hooves! You might think that it would be hard to climb with hooves because they’re so rigid. After all, you probably wouldn’t go hiking in ski boots! This is why horses sometimes have a hard time on uneven or steep ground.
However, goats have a distinct advantage that many other hooved animals don’t have. The outer layer of their hooves is hard and rigid, but the underside has a rough pad at the bottom. Goats have two-toed hooves and each of their toes have this pad.
This softer underside gives them the ability to grip onto rocks and hard surfaces more easily. It gives them great traction and the hoof itself can spread out a little bit to give them a larger surface area.
It also gives them a better sense of contact with the ground, so they can balance more easily and choose their next steps. It’s like the perfect blend of climbing barefoot and climbing with stiff shoes on. They get all the protection plus all of the flexibility.
Mountain goats and bighorn sheep have similar hooves, although theirs are more specialized for sheer rock surfaces. This foot type makes all goats stellar climbers!
The hooves of domestic goats may need to be trimmed and maintained from time to time though, and they can develop abnormalities and problems over time.