I have read that Nubians are very vocal but these two boys seem to bawl constantly. They have some rare moments when they are quiet but as soon as they see me or Milt they start in again. Now I know people wouldn't want to raise them if they were like this all the time.Can you imagine a herd of them doing this? Tell me they will quiet down after they adjust a few more days. Even if you have to lie!

-- corky wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002

Answers

No! That is why I like the swiss and french breeds. They just hum!

They have fun personalities!

Susan

-- Susan in Mn (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), April 13, 2002.

I too have quiet goats,(LaManchas)but it has been my experience that they will quiet down when they don't feel as needy. How old are they? Younger animals, away from momma and home for the first time, will be very nervous for a while. You might spend extra time with them, and food will take a goats mind off almost anything(free-choice grass hay) Good luck,

-- Kacy (kcjp@earthlink.net), April 13, 2002.

Yes Casy, My lamancha is also quiet unless she is disturbed about something. She is boss goat so that happens more with her than my toggenburg. But when they do talk their voices are much softer that the Nubians.

-- corky wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002.

Oops! I forgot to answer your question. They are yearlings.

-- corky wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.com), April 13, 2002.

I only have Nubians, and I'm pretty sure they are, in fact, louder than the others. But I have no doubt yours will quiet down considerably once they get used to the new location.

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), April 13, 2002.

We long ago gave up on Nubians because of their loud voices. Was recently talking to woman who has large goat dairy and she will only keep Alpines and Saanens. Our experience with Alpines is that they are wonderful milkers -- hard to dry up, in fact. Saanens are great too, but my husband thinks that having cute little kids with a little variety in color is so nice. Nubians are "so cute" but not terribly practical for us.

-- HV (veggie@ourplace.com), April 14, 2002.

Well, I have an Alpine that is just as loud as a Nubian- it gives me doubts about her pedigree sometimes....Generally speaking though, it is not only how vocal they are, its the nature of the sound MAAAaaaaHHH!!! that bugs me. I don't mind if a goat calls when there is a problem, but if they are just bored?? Some people don't seem to mind it. They might calm down, but my loud Alpine is loud every time she sees, hears, or senses us nearby- since she is penned near the house, we hear her a lot!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), April 14, 2002.

They're new to your farm? If so, they'll calm down after a bit. I get the same reaction every year when I move my girls between their summer and winter housing. They are creatures of ROUTINE, darnit, and you're messing up their schedule. = )

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), April 14, 2002.

We only have Nubians and I noticed a difference between one line and another line that we have. I was told by the breeder of the quiter ones that she had culled for this. From my experience it does seem to be passed along to the kids. I presently only have one loud one and she goes off about an hour before afternoon milking, she is a first freshener so am hoping she figures it out as she didn't do it last year. Most of mine have a quiter talk and often sound more like a moo. They will sit around and hum to each other and have actually had someone that owned Sanaans that was over ask me if I had someone in labor as they had never heard them do that before. It isn't loud just sounds like a lot of humming.

-- Leslie in W. WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), April 14, 2002.

Hi Corky..I have two nubies. When momma first came here..she was very vocal next to the Saanan that I had. Now Maggie and Ora .. the two nubies..are no noiser than the Saanan. BUT..I am having a NOISE problem with the Boer billy!?! Yesterday we were outside working on garden and flowers..at one time I jumped up and ran towards the goat pen, cause I thought Ora or one of them was in trouble..the noise was that loud..my husband said...nothings wrong..Barge (the billy boer ) was just being wordy! I have never had any of them talk like he does. But he is so darned loving..I guess I can put up with it!

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), April 14, 2002.

Well, we have a small herd of Nubians, (16 or so) and my dh is ROTFL after reading your post. Does that answer your question?

Actually, they vary from one animal to another but most will quiet considerably after they settle in at the new place. I consider Nubians to be the noisiest breed but I've had many breeders of the Swiss type breeds argue with me, so there are loudmouths in every group apparently. Like Leslie, I've noticed that some family lines tend to be quieter than others. One doe I have is almost silent, and so are all her kids. They don't all follow that pattern tho, one doe who was a real loudmouth has one kid that is fairly noisy while the other two are extremely quiet, thankfully.

My noisiest goat ever was her worst as a yearling. She turned into a fairly quiet goat, so there's hope for your two yet. :)

-- Lenette (kigervixen@nospam.com), April 14, 2002.

hehehe, you think thats bad , try a few boers, my boer mommies see me , and they make more noise than the nubians (which is a lot)

the one older nubian doe, she cries so much that she has even gotten hoarse from it , which is sad/funny, because then she just kind of screams... and that sounds like i am torturing her(think the noise a kid makes when de horned, but in an adult doe)

when they see me the goats all yell, that gets the horses attention, so they start hollering, and then usually the cow joins in , add to the the dogs,

all these spioled rotten animals never get enough food or atteniton , in thier minds

your goats will calm down when they adjust, but no they will never stop, i consider it a bad sign if they did... in fact whenever i visit another goat persons house, i listen for the yelling goats, when they see the owner, it shows the goats are healthy(basicly) , curious and alert goats are what we want.... can you imagine, going out to a herd of indiffrent goats....if i wanted that i would get cows.(now cow people dont get riled its a joke)

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 14, 2002.

All Fiona the Naughty Nubian has to do is hear my voice and she's crying full tilt. She is slightly quieter than when we first brought her home but she's still pretty noisy. Her daughter, Kiera, is not nearly as vocal as Fiona, but she's a Nubian Pygmy cross.

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 14, 2002.

That's why I don't have any Nubians, just can't stand all the yelling all day long. My Alpines and Saanens are quiet. I told my friend he was welcome to keep any goats here as long as they were NOT Nubians! My worthless pigmys will yell untill we feed them, but then they go out in the pasture, and are quiet the rest of the day.

What is silly is the brand new moms screaming for their babies in the pastures! Sounds like they are being attacked, not very smart like the deer are. At least they stop this after a few days! I'd think ever coyote within 10 miles would be up here with that racket!

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), April 14, 2002.

My nubians ( I have 6) only holler when I come out to feed, they're quiet the rest of the time, unless one of the kids wander too far off.

-- CJ (sheep@katahdins.net), April 14, 2002.

Hi Corky, they will calm down and or loose their voices soon :) Once they feel safe, know that you aren't going to leave them they will soon only yell at feeding time or when they see you. I will sneak out to the barn with no lights to check on a pregnant doe, so I don't wake the lambar babies, try 13 kids screaming because they see you and don't understand that even though it's 2 am they think MOM should feed them! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 14, 2002.

My Nubian doeling got hoarse after a day or so but seems to have bonded with the sheep somewhat and has quietened considerably. I don't mind the noise myself.

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), April 15, 2002.

We sold the last three nubians last year because I just couldn't stand how loud they were. Great goats but just too noisy. Needless to say I see them just about once a week and I have never heard them even make a peep at thier new place. They must have known that my heart was in another breed. : )

-- shari (smillers@snowcrest.net), April 15, 2002.

I just sold my last Nubian cross doe just for that reason. She was a wonderful milker and very gentle, but oh that voice!! She was 75% Alpine and 25% Nubian. Maybe if my barn and pasture area wasn't within sight of my front porch...but everytime we came and went from the house or tried to sit and relax on the porch she'd "talk" to us. Her name was Myrtle and we started calling her Mouthy Myrtle! She was a three year old...born and raised here. I was soooo hoping she would "outgrow" being so vocal! My pure Alpines will talk occasionally...but MUCH quieter :-)!! Maybe it's a lineage thing, but for now I think I'm sticking with pure Alpines...or maybe I'll try LaManchas!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 15, 2002.

My lamancha isn't vocal but she isn't named Miss B. For nothing! That doesnt stand for Bea.

-- corky wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.