Many people assume that goats sleep standing up, as is the case for some other herbivorous species (like horses). However, the reality is a little more complex here, which is why we\u2019re on hand today to give you a little more insight into the complex world of goat sleeping patterns, including whether or not goats sleep standing up, the importance of sleep for a goat, and the like. After all, just like us, goats need plenty of sleep to stay healthy and well \u2013 and understanding this can help make you a better goat owner and more aware of their unique needs accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many people are not sure about how goats sleep. Indeed, \u201cdo goats sleep standing up\u201d is a pretty common question since this is a common habit with horses. In fact, the majority of horses will spend most of their sleeping time standing up. But what\u2019s the truth about goat sleeping patterns? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, in most cases, goats sleep as you\u2019d expect: like normal. But what does this mean? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goat sleeping habits are similar to most other herbivores: while they doze or rest while standing up, they won\u2019t sleep properly until they lie down. Usually, a goat will curl its legs underneath itself, although some may stretch their legs out straight instead \u2013 they may have individual preferences. However, goats do not sleep properly standing up, which can come as something of a shock to many people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s more, it\u2019s well worth keeping in mind that goats will often do a \u201cdeath pose\u201d during sleep. The first time you see this as a goat keeper, be prepared \u2013 you\u2019ll probably be filled with terror! Indeed, during a so-called \u201cdeath pose\u201d nap, your goat may lie flat out on its side with its legs held straight out in front of it. The goat will usually be in an incredibly deep sleep during this, which gives an illusion of the goat being dead! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This typically happens when your goat is in an incredibly deep sleep, and it can feel like no amount of shouting and hollering will wake them up. Sometimes, they may not even stir initially when you stroke them, which can be terrifying to watch. However, persist if this happens to you, and your goat should eventually wake up. Of course, goats being goats, they won\u2019t stir until they\u2019ve scared you half to death first! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your goat doesn\u2019t seem to stir from a dreaded death nap, the most important thing to do is check that it is breathing. A goat in a \u201cdeath nap\u201d may have incredibly slow breathing, so checking the goat\u2019s nose for small movements can be the best indicator of whether they\u2019re breathing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should also quickly check the goat\u2019s temperature; putting your finger carefully on its gums is a good way to see if they are cold to the touch. If their gums are cold, your goat may have actually passed away in its sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have any concerns about your goat, getting it to a local veterinarian as soon as possible is crucial. Potentially, what looks like a very deep sleep could actually be a sign that your goat is incredibly ill or even in a coma; these may not be treatable, depending on the cause, which is why quick intervention is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike horses, goats do not naturally sleep standing up since they do not have the ability of horses to lock their legs. Horses have evolved this skill to allow them to sleep while remaining on alert for danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, the process of standing up when your legs are as long as a horse is not a quick process, and the time for a horse to stand could be enough for a predator to pounce! As such, for horses, the ability to sleep standing up substantially improves their chances of survival in a wild situation \u2013 however, horses may still sleep lying down occasionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, goats do not have the same limitations with standing up as horses. In fact, if a sleeping goat hears you rustle a bag of food, it\u2019ll often be up in a blink of an eye \u2013 meaning there\u2019s no need for the goat to sleep standing up. As such, goat\u2019s cannot lock their legs to sleep and will instead sleep lying down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, a goat may relax or dose with its head lowered while standing. This is not really the same as deep sleep, but it is easy to mistake this for sleeping soundly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the quirk of the dreaded death nap, goats can often display several other quirks while sleeping. Perhaps the spookiest thing I\u2019ve seen is a goat sleeping with its eyes open. In addition, while resting (but not actively sleeping), your goat will likely chew its cud to help with digestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While your goat does not necessarily need much sleep, it will spend a large quantity of its time lying down and resting. This is because the rumination process is very time-consuming, and requires the goat to rechew its food at a time when it feels safe and comfortable. As such, rumination is often considered a good sign of ruminant health and happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not always clear how goats sleep, and this can leave many people (understandably) assuming that goats sleep in a similar way to horses. However, this is not actually the case since goats cannot naturally lock their limbs while asleep. As such, goats sleep like most other animals instead of laying down. However, if you notice that your goat is standing up and it looks like they are sleeping, the most likely explanation is that they are unwell.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As such, one of the first things you should do in this scenario is to check your goat\u2019s vitals \u2013 for example, their temperature, their anemia levels, and their breathing rate. You may also need to get veterinary support if you are concerned about your goat\u2019s health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many people assume that goats sleep standing up, as is the case for some other herbivorous species (like horses). However, the reality is a little more complex here, which is why we\u2019re on hand today to give you a little more insight into the complex world of goat sleeping patterns, including whether or not goats…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":271,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270\/revisions\/271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herdiac.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}