A few years ago we wrote a blog about “The Naming of Goats.” Then, just recently, while shopping on Etsy, we ran across a store selling name tags for goats. And that got us to thinking: Why would a goat need a name tag at all?
Goats are quite amazing creatures in numerous ways. One way, of course, is their remarkable eating habits. The ultimate omnivores, they are known to chomp on everything even vaguely edible—or inedible, for that matter—from grass to tree bark to toxic plants, including poison oak and knapweed. They even have a documented appetite for litter when left unchaperoned. Indeed, that is the theme of the American folk song “Bill Grogan’s Goat”:
One day that goat felt frisk and fine—
Ate three red shirts right off the line.
Aside from their voraciousness, the most amazing thing about goats might just be their brains. Don’t let their garbage-munching fool you: the domesticated goat is a deceptively clever creature.
As it happens, goats are highly intelligent mammals whose brainpower is comparable to that of dogs or dolphins. They are able to develop skills through trial and error and, according to researchers, can even cultivate a pool of long-term memories. In fact, so sharp is the domesticated goat that it has been shown that they are even capable of learning their names and responding to the calls of their masters.
Standing Out from the Herd
Not only are goats smart, but they are highly social. After all, they’re most at home in a herd, itself a sophisticated social structure. Goat behavior has evolved in such a way that socializing for them is more than a pastime, it is a need. For that reason, goats make the happiest and healthiest pets when paired with at least one other goat. However, they also bond with their human masters, interpreting them as a part of their own herd.
So it certainly makes sense to be on a first-name basis with your fellow herd-mates! If you have already crossed the interspecies solidarity barrier and decided to name your goat—tips for which can be found at “350+ Pet Goat Names for Your New Goat (From Angus to Waffles)”—then your next step ought to be getting some practical, durable (and stylish!) goat name tags for your hircine homies.
Goat Name Tags Aren’t for the Goats—
They’re for You!
Now, as bright as they may be, it must be admitted that goats cannot read. Goat name tags are purely for the convenience of the owners of goats, as well as for strangers who may wish to make their acquaintance. This is not very practical for commercial farms with large numbers of goats (for that your best bet may be sequentially numbered livestock ear tags); but if you have yourself a modest-sized herd—or even just a couple of similar-looking pets—and need a little help telling Goat A from Goat B, then goat name tags are the perfect way to do it. After all, it’s not as easy to tell them apart as you might expect!
Even their canine minder looks a tad confused.
Goat name tags are a handy way to identify your goats at a glance. You might want to keep an eye on Johnny, who’s a particularly mischievous billy goat always getting up to trouble when your back is turned; or Martha, secretly your favorite doe to whom you tend to toss a little extra feed. And if you want your goats to learn and respond to their names, you’ve got to be consistent! If you get mixed up, your goats will get mixed up too. So there’s no shame in leaning on a little visual aid to ensure you’re calling them by the right moniker. After all, there’s a reason human beings don a little name tag for themselves at seminars and such from time to time.
Additionally, specialty goat name tags are quite chic, and they will keep your herd looking sharp. Goat name tags produced by Ketchum Mfg. Co. are entirely customizable and can be imprinted not only with the name of your furry friend, but with the logo of your farm, for example. They come in different colors and can be as simple or elaborate as you like. These goat name tags are worn around the neck, where the animals can proudly display their appellation to the world.
After all, would they not introduce themselves more effectively with a name tag than with a bleat and a hoofshake?
So whether you’re the proud parent of a couple of kids (pun intended) or just a hobbyist, in the goat-naming game, goat name tags are a great goat name game changer. (Say that fast three times!)
