2 goat does head-butting each other

[LestersFlat]

We have 13 adult goats in 2 large barn/pen areas and just recently 12 kids added. Everything was fine until today when the oldest doe started a head-butting battle with one of the others. Both have bloody heads. This has been going on for about an hour. Should I stop them? Or wait for them to give up? I am worried that one or both will be seriously injured...

 

[Araucana Nest]

Let them continue. If your herd Queen is ordinarily a good queen, she is putting the other doe in line. They will eventually get tired. If you are very worried and separate them they will start up again later. The only time it is wiser to stop them is if either is bred.

 

[LestersFlat]

Let them continue. If your herd Queen is ordinarily a good queen, she is putting the other doe in line. They will eventually get tired. If you are very worried and separate them they will start up again later. The only time it is wiser to stop them is if either is bred.

Thank you. That sounds like good advice. My husband did separate them, but as soon as he put them back together they started again, so we thought it better to just let them go. I can't watch. But I will post later with results.

 

[cassie]

That is what goats do. If they are Alpines, that is what they live to do.

 

[LestersFlat]

I have had dairy goats for about 7 years now. I know that they play, and also establish dominance, by head-butting. But I have never seen it go on as long as these 2, and never seen 2 of them bleeding and still furiously butting each other. I did just go out there and check on them. They're still not happy with each other, but they seemed to have stopped butting. This is 1 Saanen and 1 Saanen/Boer mix (the younger and smaller 1).

 

[cassie]

Maybe they just hate each other. That happens sometimes. As long as they are not causing serious injury to each other, I would leave them alone and let them settle it.

 

[RoosterML]

My wether tries to head butt me. Luckily I haven’t given in yet.