How Nanny Goats Care for Their Young

From gently milking to fiercely protecting their young, nanny goats often live up to their name. However, while they are known for their mothering instincts, they were actually named after the English name Anne -- male goats are called billy goats, derived from the name William, and "nanny" is a shortened version of Anne for female goats. The female goats can be used to foster other animals, including baby sheep, if their own mothers are unavailable or unable to nurse them.

  1. History

    • A nanny goat has been used throughout history to care for not only her young, but the young of others as well. The animal will often take on other babies that are not of the same species as her own brood and defend, feed and groom the animal as if it was her own, in lieu of their own mother. This has been used with baby horses, pigs and most often lambs when mothers are unable to care for their own young.

    Nursing

    • Nursing is one of the most important aspects of a nanny goat. The goat provides a nutrient-rich milk to its young as soon as it is born. However, the goat, when nursing its own young, can also be used to nurture other kinds of animals, such as baby sheep, whose mothers are unable to nurse them. This creates an invaluable aspect of a nanny goat for a farmer and as such, many farmers keep one or two around.

    Grooming

    • Nanny goats attempt to keep their young somewhat clean through a grooming process, seen with many farm animals and their young. The licking of a young goat's fur not only removes dirt, debris and small insects, but also creates a bonding mechanism between the baby and the adult. This can also be seen with other orphaned animals that are adopted by the nanny goat; the nanny goat's grooming creates a bond between them, regardless of the difference in species.

    Protection

    • Nanny goats are known for their protective instincts, often defending their young fiercely unless they know that the threat or creature will not harm them. In the wild, mountain goats raise their young on steep cliffs and ledges to prevent them from being easily caught by predators. The naturally difficult terrain aids the mother in protecting her young, although she will defeat the predator with her horns if the young are directly approached by one.