Goatzilla at the Feed Bunk?

Ever watched your goats at the feed bunk and noticed how some dive right in, others hang back, and a few seem to be constantly jostling for position? It’s a familiar scene for many goat owners, highlighting that the feed bunk isn’t just a place for a meal; it’s often a hotbed of competition. This fascinating study delves into why these individual differences in feeding behavior occur, especially under varying feeding conditions, suggesting that your goat’s unique personality might be at the heart of it all.

Researchers embarked on a pilot study with thirteen non-lactating Saanen cross dairy goats, all about a year old, to unravel the intricate dance between personality and competitive feeding. The goats, already accustomed to group living and an established hierarchy, were introduced to an indoor pen where they encountered three distinct feeder heights daily: a floor-level feeder, a head-level feeder, and an elevated-level feeder where they’d stand on a step to eat. To truly observe their competitive nature, the setup was intentionally designed with limited feeding space—a mere 13.5 cm per goat, far less than the recommended ample space of 40 cm per head for milking goats. Imagine trying to squeeze into a crowded buffet line; that’s the kind of pressure these goats were under!

To understand each goat’s inherent personality, the team put them through a series of behavioral tests. These weren’t your typical farm chores; instead, they involved exposing individual goats to novel environments, unfamiliar objects, startling sudden stimuli like an opening umbrella, and even the sight of a dog. It’s a bit like a psychological evaluation, but for goats! Through careful observation and statistical analysis, four consistent personality traits emerged: bold, fearful, exploratory, and active-escape. These traits, surprisingly stable over time, offered a window into how each goat might naturally approach and react to different situations.

So, what did these personality traits reveal about mealtime manners? It turns out that three of the four traits significantly influenced how goats navigated the challenging feeding environment. Bold goats, characterized by their quick return to a food bucket after a sudden scare, were quite the assertive characters. They tended to initiate more aggressive interactions and were observed to have greater feeding times across all feeder heights. Interestingly, their aggression wasn’t just a fleeting moment; they maintained high levels of aggression, particularly when feeding at the floor-level bunk. This suggests a “fight-or-flight” approach, where bold individuals might be less flexible in their behavior even as conditions change. It seems their aggressive tactics often paid off, leading to more time spent at the feeder and less time waiting.

On the other end of the spectrum were the fearful goats, those who hesitated to return to the food bucket after seeing the dog. These individuals often showed a more cautious approach to feeding. They initiated fewer aggressive interactions, especially at the floor-level feeder, and exhibited reduced feeding time overall. Instead of fighting for access, they more often simply waited for their turn. This “reactive” coping style, marked by withdrawal or avoidance of stressful stimuli, meant they might have avoided the most competitive feeding periods altogether.

Then there were the exploratory goats, scoring high on curiosity toward novel objects. Unlike the bold and fearful, these goats seemed to embody a surprising level of adaptability. They were less involved in aggressive interactions at the floor-level feeder and spent less time feeding there. However, their feeding time actually increased at the elevated-level feeder. This shift in behavior hints at a greater behavioral flexibility, where these goats adjusted their feeding strategy based on the feeder height, perhaps leveraging their exploratory nature to find the most comfortable or accessible spots. The “active-escape” personality trait, however, did not show any significant associations with competitive feeding behaviors in this study.

The study highlighted that the floor-level feeder presented the most significant challenge. Researchers speculate this could be due to a solid wood frame above the head, potentially restricting backward views, which is known to increase aggression in goats. Another factor could be the uncomfortable body posture required at ground level, where goats might need to splay their legs, limiting access for multiple animals. This combination of factors at the floor-level feeder seemed to truly test the different personalities, leading to varied coping mechanisms.

Ultimately, this pioneering work, while acknowledging its modest scale, offers compelling early evidence that individual personality traits are not just quirky characteristics but play a significant role in shaping how goats behave around a shared, valuable resource like food. It helps explain the wide variability in feeding times observed in previous studies, where some goats drastically reduce their intake under competitive conditions while others maintain theirs. It’s a powerful reminder that each goat is truly an individual, and understanding their inherent traits can help us provide better care.

Limitations

When we look at scientific studies, it’s always important to consider their limitations, and the authors of this research are commendably transparent about theirs. A significant point of caution is that this was a pilot study conducted with a single group of only thirteen goats. This small sample size and the fact that they were a pre-existing, stable group mean that the results might not be broadly applicable to all goats or larger herds. The intricate interactions and dynamics within a group of goats are highly specific to that particular collection of individuals, making it difficult to generalize these findings beyond this specific study.

Furthermore, the study intentionally created a highly competitive feeding environment by providing restricted feeding space. While this was necessary to observe the competitive behaviors, it means the findings are most relevant to similar high-competition scenarios and might not fully reflect behavior under more generous feeding conditions. The authors also acknowledge that while they controlled for known factors affecting hierarchy like body weight, age, and horns, other morphological aspects that could influence social dynamics (like body structure) were not measured. Despite these caveats, the consistency of the personality traits over time and their clear link to feeding behaviors provided the researchers with confidence that their results were meaningful, even if not universally generalizable at this stage.

Relevance for Us

So, as goat owners, how can we apply these fascinating insights into our own herds? The core takeaway is recognizing and appreciating individual variability among your goats, especially around feeding time. No two goats are exactly alike, and this study provides a scientific basis for understanding why they behave so differently at the feed bunk.

• Observe Your Goats Closely: Pay attention to how each of your goats approaches feeding. Do you have a “bold” leader who pushes their way in? A “fearful” one who waits until everyone else has had their fill, perhaps missing out on prime feed? Or an “exploratory” goat who seems to adapt their feeding strategy based on the feeder type? Identifying these individual coping styles can help you understand potential stressors or nutritional inequities within your herd.
• Re-evaluate Feeder Design and Space: The study highlights that the floor-level feeder was particularly challenging for all personality types, leading to increased aggression from bold goats and reduced feeding for fearful and exploratory ones. This might be due to restricted views or uncomfortable feeding postures. If you primarily use ground-level feeders, consider if they are comfortable and allow adequate visibility.
  • Think about offering multiple feeder heights. While this study noted increased displacement from elevated feeders in prior work, it also showed that exploratory goats actually increased their feeding time at the elevated feeder. Providing a variety of feeder heights could cater to different goat preferences and potentially reduce overall competition by offering options.
• Prioritize Ample Feeding Space: The study deliberately created a high-competition scenario with very limited space (13.5 cm/head). For optimal welfare and to minimize personality-driven conflicts, always aim to provide generous feeding space, ideally around 40 cm per mature milking goat. This allows all goats to eat comfortably without constant jostling and can mitigate the negative impacts of competition, ensuring everyone gets their fair share.
• Consider Welfare Implications: Understanding that personality influences how goats cope with competitive feeding environments is crucial for their overall well-being. If you notice certain goats consistently being pushed away or not getting enough to eat, it might be tied to their personality and could indicate a need for management adjustments to ensure all individuals receive adequate nutrition and experience less stress.

This research is a wonderful reminder that managing goats isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. By recognizing and responding to their unique personalities, we can create more harmonious and healthy feeding environments for our beloved herds.

Quick Takeaways

• Goat personality, specifically boldness, fearfulness, and exploratory traits, significantly impacts competitive feeding behavior and feeding time.
• Bold goats tend to be more aggressive at the feed bunk, especially at floor-level feeders.
• Fearful goats initiate less aggression and may have reduced feeding times, often waiting for access.
• Exploratory goats show more flexibility, reducing aggression at floor-level feeders but increasing feeding time at elevated ones.
• Feeder height influences how personality affects feeding behavior, with floor-level feeders often presenting the toughest challenge.

Article Citation

Neave, H. W., & Zobel, G. (2020). Personality of dairy goats affects competitive feeding behaviour at different feeder heights. Small Ruminant Research, 192, 106222.