WHAT WOULD YOU DO?????????calling all goat owners

[packinaglock]

My nubian likes to try to butt my American bulldog thru the fence, It is pretty comical.

 

[SheriM]

Yes, goats do butt heads and bunt each other, and sometimes it can get pretty rough, but there are some that take it to excess and it can definitely be a problem, especially if you ever plan to breed your other goats. If your doe is ramming the others hard enough to slam them into the wall, it could cause them to lose a kid. And speaking of kids, do you have children, and if so, how does this goat behave toward them? I'd be very worried about a potentially aggressive pygmy with horns. Those blasted things are right at a child's eye level.

I've never done it or even seen it done, but I know horns can be removed by putting an elastrator band on them. You'd have to research this and find out a lot more about it before attempting it, but it's worth considering. I have a friend who does it all the time apparently and has never had a problem.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:
I just wanted to point out that the link was VERY helpful for such a topic and wanted to bring it to your attention again.

-Kim

 

[durtywater]

hello there yes i have raised goats now for about 7 years or so all pygmys .....from my goats all get along great i have 9 of them ...if i was u i would prolly sell her unless u dont mind keeping an eye on her...but it would get old after a while and if there is another goat pregnant she can make them miscarriage which is really not good but i hope this info helps a little

 

[Haviris]

If she was mine I'd band her horns and then deside if she's worth keeping. They can still butt even w/out horns, and if they are aggressive they will be either way, and they can still do damage w/out horns. Taking her horns may or may not help, if it doesn't I'd sell her and buy a registered doe that is already dehorned.

 

[mcfarlandteresa]

I'm glad someone posted this problem. I've got a female that's the same way. She head butts everything and everyone.

I got her and her brother and her half sister all at the same time and she is the only one that will not let you touch her. It's a pain trying to catch her. I've had to pen her up by herself to keep her from hurting my 3 week old goat. I'm seriously considering selling her and getting another but I'm still debating it.

 

[username taken]

dehorning wont help a great deal because they butt with their foreheads, not their horns. But, sometimes it will work to knock them down a little on the social ladder.

Here are a few other things to try, if you want to take her down a peg or two:

- join all the other goats but not her, they will have babies and she wont (this time round), most of the time the does with kids will be dominant over those without. Hopefully, one of them might knock the stuffing out of her and make her behave a little better.

- put a collar on her front left leg and her back right leg, tie a bale twine between them reasonably tight so that when she walks, she has to hobble. If she can still run quite well, tighten it. You need it so that she is quite uncoordinated. It might just slow her down enough so she doesnt beat up on the others too much.

- take a piece of black poly pipe, when you see her beating on another goat, take the poly pipe and lay into her. I know its not nice to do, but sometimes we just have to do these things. Dont just hit her once or twice, hit her many times, hit her all over, the beauty of poly pipe is it wont bruise or do any serious damage, but it is very loud and scary. You might have to do it several times before she starts associating the punishment with her bullying behaviour.

Ultimately though, I think the underlying problem is you may not have enough space in your barn for them all to co-exist happily. Oftentimes if you can increase their space, they will all find their own little territory and get along quite happily.

 

[Chatychick]

Well from personal experience I banded my girls that had horns as 1 was a real stinker and it sure put a stop to it...banding makes them sore and they think about it. This is what I would do and it sure stopped my problem and eventually the horns will come off. Or you can take her to the vet and have them removed, its expensive and painful also. Banding, you need to really put the band that you use for banding buckl;ings, really low on the horn and as close to the scalp as you can posibly get it. In about 2 to 3 mths the horns will come off. Sometimes sooner and yes they will bleed but it will stop her from butting or using her horns to get her way. Good luck with your decision.

 

[redhen]

it is better to sell her than to call her a Bit**, and keep her seperated from the others.....its cruel to keep a goat alone. just sell her to good home where she can be with other goats with horns.....de-horning is VERY painful...i KNOW, i had my doe done for the SAME problem you have.....she was beating the tar out of my baby alpine....i would NEVER do it again!!!!....if you heard her scream when i had to touch her bandages to change them...if you could only see how bad it REALLY does hurt them..i dont think you would do it...i would get rid of her before i ever did that again....AND, my doe is growing back 1 horn anyways!!!..after ALL that pain she went through!..

*edited to add: my vet de-horned her..i didnt band her....so banding may be differant than the actual surgery that my doe had...*

 

[Wolf-Kim]

And if the problem insists, well, you could always sell her for food or eat her yourself. Then you wouldn't have to deal with it anymore and you wouldn't be passing the problem onto someone else to deal with.

If you do sell her, make SURE to tell them WHY you are selling her. Nothing irks people quicker than a shady dealer, unloading poor animals onto the market for a quick buck.

-Kim