Can goats actually harm someone?

[Farmer Mike S]

And if you need help finding a breeder in your area, let me know. We can try to find one for you  

Wow thank you, I actually do need help because I have no idea where to even look! I've been looking on craigslist and majority of the goats I've been seeing are either Nigerian dwarfs or old beat down goats.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Goats are fabulous creatures (among my favorite animals) - don't let my previous response make you think otherwise - it's just you asked if they can do damage and they can....the likelihood of them dong so if properly managed is not that great. It's like with horses -they *can* inflict serious, even deadly, harm - but the likelihood of it actually happening is drastically reduced with proper management, knowledge, etc.

 

[H Diamond]

Ok, sent you a message as I didn't want to post names and addresses for the general google to find.

 

[donrae]

I wouldn't keep a buck for only 2 does. Way more hassle than it would be worth. Goats are pretty easy to transport. I'd just haul her to the breeder's when it's time for breeding.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I wouldn't keep a buck for only 2 does. Way more hassle than it would be worth. Goats are pretty easy to transport. I'd just haul her to the breeder's when it's time for breeding.

Agree - much easier to just enjoy a couple of nice does and haul out for breeding than putting up with a buck year round when you only "need" him for a few days

 

[Farmer Mike S]

I wouldn't keep a buck for only 2 does. Way more hassle than it would be worth. Goats are pretty easy to transport. I'd just haul her to the breeder's when it's time for breeding. 

I was sort of thinking the same thing too. Can't you also buy sperm?

 

[Godsgrl]

I was attacked my an ornery pygmy buck in full rut with a good set of horns. He tore my jeans from hip to ankle, and bruised me almost to bleeding in the same range. I was truly terrified, and had to fight to escape him. If he had been a bigger buck, such as a Boer or Kiko, I don't know how much worse the outcome would have been for me. Yes, they can be dangerous. He eventually went for goat roast.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I was sort of thinking the same thing too. Can't you also buy sperm?

You can AI in goats, but it is truly an art form, and requires special equipment. Not something I would personally recommend for someone just getting started. Especially if they only have a few goats.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

I'm asking because I'm highly considering goats, and my mom along with a former friend of mine have been charged by a goat. Even though I'm not a small guy (5'11" 180lbs), I actually do have a fear of being severely injured by one. I actually also have a natural fear of dogs too because I was ran over by my neighbors dog a few times when I was little (the dog was just playing).

I've been breeding and showing dairy goats for the last two years.

Yes, you can be injured by anything. Even a cat. A neighbor of mine had to go to the ER for cat scratches once. :/

Basically dangerous goats boil down to horns, which are obviously dangerous to humans and to the goat itself (many a goat has gored its herdmate, or died from a broken neck due to a fence). Getting rid of the horns can either be done young or old. When done young you have to burn the bud off with an iron:



Doing them old means surgery by the vet, which is expensive. More than your goat is worth. Or banding the horns; and I'm sure there is some other way I'm not thinking of.

I disbud my young goats with a disbudding iron. It is the easiest and less stressful way for the goat. After I do mine, they are off jumping a playing again in a very short time; after the initial shock. I'm probably going to get attacked for this post, I'm not sure, because some people view it as quite cruel. To be frank though, its a game of give and take.

Give the kids a stressful experience that will be over in three minutes, and they are set for life horn-free. Cons are its tough to dehorn.

Or I could leave the horns and potentially the goat will kill itself in a fence or gore another goat or human. Pro is that it still has its sweet little horns.
I would rather put the goat under a few minutes of stress at a young age, than surgery later or banding the horns. Which drags out over a period of time, quite painful for the goat.

And also, once you have a disbudding iron, you can do it yourself.

Anyways, if you're thinking about getting goats, get disbudded ones 100%.
Good luck!

 

[Stacykins]

I've been breeding and showing dairy goats for the last two years.

Yes, you can be injured by anything. Even a cat. A neighbor of mine had to go to the ER for cat scratches once. :/

Basically dangerous goats boil down to horns, which are obviously dangerous to humans and to the goat itself (many a goat has gored its herdmate, or died from a broken neck due to a fence). Getting rid of the horns can either be done young or old. When done young you have to burn the bud off with an iron:



Doing them old means surgery by the vet, which is expensive. More than your goat is worth. Or banding the horns; and I'm sure there is some other way I'm not thinking of.

I disbud my young goats with a disbudding iron. It is the easiest and less stressful way for the goat. After I do mine, they are off jumping a playing again in a very short time; after the initial shock. I'm probably going to get attacked for this post, I'm not sure, because some people view it as quite cruel. To be frank though, its a game of give and take.

Give the kids a stressful experience that will be over in three minutes, and they are set for life horn-free. Cons are its tough to dehorn.

Or I could leave the horns and potentially the goat will kill itself in a fence or gore another goat or human. Pro is that it still has its sweet little horns.
I would rather put the goat under a few minutes of stress at a young age, than surgery later or banding the horns. Which drags out over a period of time, quite painful for the goat.

And also, once you have a disbudding iron, you can do it yourself.

Anyways, if you're thinking about getting goats, get disbudded ones 100%.
Good luck!

I disbud too. Most people with dairy goats do. I premedicate the kids with banamine at least 30 minutes before doing it, and it is over in seconds. I know it hurts, it is a hot iron (which I managed to burn myself with once, derp), but it is fast. And you're right, they're back to being playful, bouncy kids as soon as they are set down. They also scream a lot from just getting forcibly held, let alone getting disbudded.

I am against horns after I nearly lost an eye to a horn. A horned goat threw his head backwards and nailed me hard on the cheek. Left a lovely shiner. An inch higher, and I'd get to wear an eyepatch like a pirate. The kicker, he did it by accident. If it hurt that bad from an accident, I'd hate to think the damage he'd have done if he got aggressive. BTW, that goat is in freezer camp, as he was being raised for that purpose.

FYI, that same horned goat also killed another goat with his horns. He hooked a horn around her collar (lesson learned, collars as bad unless they are breakaway) and throttled her. It happened in the time it took me to go get some treats from the house for them, since I'd been out there with the goats, and left to slice some apples for the group. I came back, she was dead. He did manage to rip the collar free, and it was still in his horns. Having to tell her breeder what happened was the worst.