A bleating goat can mean a myriad of things. Is my goat hungry? Are one of my goats trying to be dominant? There’s a lot of different noises that mean different things.
Oddly enough, goats tend to make a humming noise when they are happy, or at least content. More often than not a goat won’t make any noise when they are happy. They make more guttural noises if they are hungry or thirsty.
So what exactly does a bleating goat mean? Making heads or tails of what noises a goat is making and how to address it is an important step in becoming a responsible goat owner.
What Noises Do a Goat Make
All animals make noises when something is happening to them, around them, or they want something. Take a cat for example, a cat makes a purring noise when they feel content. Such as when they are being pet, they make a noise notifying the person petting them that they are happy. A goat makes lots of noises to notify their owners what is going on.
There’s usually only two types of noises that goats make. They are either making a humming noise, which indicates that they are happy, or they are bleating. The bleating noise comes in varying noise levels as well as duration. Goats occasionally make some sort of moaning noise, which goes along with the humming/purring noise, which is another sign of them being happy.
What Do the Noises Mean
Whether you’re a first time goat owner, or a seasoned goat herder, all goats come with a variety of personalities. Having a farm animal isn’t like owning a dog or cat; barnyard animals are specific in their needs and know exactly what they want. Goats will bleat either out of comfort, necessity, or just for the heck of it.
The thing about a goat purring is that they only purr, or hum, when they are feeling good. Some goats even make a low, moaning sound when being scratched or brushed. Not all goats make this noise, as it isn’t necessarily a normal sound for them to make. Goats aren’t necessarily bonding creatures, more herd creatures, but certain breeds will bond with their human if they feel well taken care of and loved. A comforting touch makes animal make a noise of approval to encourage the “petter” to continue.
When a goat is making a pleading sort of bleating, that means they are either hungry or thirsty. Goats know when they are hungrier, just like any other animal. They prefer to be on a schedule, and if they notice that they haven’t been fed yet, then they will notify you that they’re starving. If a day is hotter, then they will bleat to notify you that they are thirstier than usual and are parched. Their bleating sounds will get louder the needier they are in search of food or water. The sound is deafening, so listening to their needs is important, and they will become aggressive if they are not being helped.
Another reason for a goat making a horrible bleating sound is that they are asserting dominance. Whether it is a male or female, goats will assert dominance if they feel like they are being threatened or someone else is trying to take over control. Castrating a male can help to alleviate the dominant personality of a male goat, but most female goats are relatively calm. Certain breeds are more aggressive than others, such as Kalahari Red, Mountain Goats, or even Rangeland.
Pregnant goats make bleating noises for different reasons at times. Female goats have a tendency to make extreme bleating noises right before they kid. And yes, having baby goats is called kidding! Crazy, right? Pregnant goats make noises for a week or two leading up to the birth of her kids, in which she will then bleat until she is done giving birth. Sometimes she will bleat in order to receive comfort, so they’ll bleat for hours and hours.
Recognizing a Sick Goat’s Bleating
It can be fairly easy to differentiate the sounds a goat makes after a period of time in order to better fix and understand their needs. Sick goats make different noises compared to a healthy goat, and it is noticeable. Healthy goats are extremely energetic, and are playful when they feel good. Goats often make short, playful bleats, but will make longer bleating noises when they feel uncomfortable or unwell.
These may be minor symptoms, but can lead to something larger, so consider your options and monitor the health of the goat before rushing to the vet over these symptoms. Here are some common things to look and listen for when a goat is feeling unwell:
- they will kick and act restless
- an obvious sign is they have a fever or a cold
- there will be discharge around their nose and eyes
- experiencing diarrhea or sometimes bloody stools
- having a hard time going to the bathroom
However, there are some more serious signs that indicate a vet needs to be called immediately. If you notice that your goat is laying down for an extended period of time, or are isolating themselves from the other animals around them, call a vet immediately. Goats don’t speak English, and they need the help of others around them to provide them with the help they need. Monitor the health of your goat to make sure they aren’t pouting before calling a vet.
Goats Have Accents
Just as people from different regions of the United States or parts of the world have accents, goats from different regions also have varying inflections. The goat in your backyard may sound different from a goat roaming the Appalachian Mountains. It mostly depends on the breed and location of the goat whether it’s bleating is high pitched, long, or more of a cadence. Not that anyone is an expert on the language of goats, but it would seem that most understand each other. The inflections and duration of a bleating goat differentiate a goat from a different country, region, or state.