Assuming your does do not have horns, they don’t usually hurt kids, although it looks disturbing to us humans. I separated her when she kidded and for a while after. She was totally fine with them, and her kids taught them to be goats. Keep in mind that it’s normal for them to butt heads a little when they are first put together. The first mom attacked the second moms kind only hours after ouht wad born. Their lifespan can vary depending on their raising purposes, whether you are using them for breeding and for how long. And I need her to put weight on not loose more. Our bottle baby is 10weeks old and polled and the other is 8weeks but with horns. The horned one has the advantage and she knows it. If it’s only been a couple of days, they can still work things out. It’s not a big deal if a wether is mounting other goats. They all got along great when there was 4 of them. Will they get along over the time? Especially the baby. After a few hours, one of the mix’s ‘caps’ got knocked off and it’s bleeding alot. They probably receive treats and so they are happy to see you. The first mom charged (head down and used her horns) the second moms baby from across the pen from 20′ away. I have also put it in with my dogs, and they seems to get along. Many people are afraid of rats and with good reason. Any tips on getting the mean one to be nicer to the sweet horned goat? Actually got them to keep poison ivy down. There is a picture of a goat skull in my book, Raising Goats Naturally, which shows you that the horns are part of the skull. I would ask the vet what you can do for them. This is totally normal behavior. I would not want goats like this to be together. Goats do not need heat during the winter as long as they are dry. Researchers occasionally resort to horn-grabbing when a goat unexpectedly arouses from anesthesia or was never fully under in the first place. It’s weird that the new boys and the ones being bossy — unless they have some sort of advantage, such as being bigger or having horns. They are our pets. I am a new goat mom who purchased two Nigerian sisters who turns out were pregnant when I bought them. It seemed like she was trying to nurse but couldn’t get on the same page with the mother. Unsubscribe at any time. There’s no way to know if it’s going to be a problem or not. There is usually less head butting when you do that for a few days, but it doesn’t eliminate it entirely. It’s probably not as bad as it looks, and if one is running away, that’s good. It’s really not a good idea to keep a buck with does 365 days a year. I understand it’s day one, it’s getting dark. But if she was in heat, she would not be running from him. But during the day the bully it. Now that he’s gone, the three Nigerians are constantly trying to figure out who’s boss. I have 3 pygmy goats. They need to be kept separate from the beginning or the bucks will get the does pregnant MUCH earlier than they should be bred. Should I resperare them or just let them work it out? This type of behavior in wethers is not that unusual, especially if he was castrated as an adult and was already sexually mature. I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog! Chupacabras are known for their feasting on goats, but will attack any human on sight. Separating your boys will (1) make them very unhappy when they are apart because they are herd animals and need a friend, and (2) cause even worse head butting when you put them back together as they have to establish dominance all over again. Since goats should not be alone, you need to get another buck or a wether (castrated male) to be his companion. https://thriftyhomesteader.teachable.com/p/goat-breeding. What can I do? We have two adult females. Usually when there is a big difference between two goats, the fighting doesn’t last very long because it’s obvious who the boss is. Anyways I don’t need kids that bad to have this happen , maybe because he has horns ? Make sure they have plenty of room so that the doe is less likely to be able to slam the kid against a wall or something like that. Washington state officials have shot a mountain goat that gored and killed a hiker on Saturday in Olympic National Park. If a goat does come after you, try taking an aggressive posture and pelting your attacker with rocks. It sounds like you’re concerned that the goat will not be as friendly with humans if the doe continues to be mean to him. If so can it cause blindness? If this is a buck, they need to be separated immediately. (It’s hard to spend a career studying the animals without suffering a nasty gash or two.) I have one ND weather that has decided to start ramming into one of my smaller goats, and when we are harnessing the alpacas to take them out, he rams them in the legs also. You could let them share a fenceline for a couple of days, or you could just put them together and see how they do. What can I do? Should i leave the new one in the stable with them from day one? What’s going on with him?? also do the nigerian goats know when to go inside their house when they are cold from the wind? Hi, I have 4 goat kids about 4 weeks old. Not fighting back is actually the best response. When goats have been separated for kidding, I put them into groups of three or four initially so the head butting gets spread around a little more than if only two goats were put together. They have been together for several years. Mountain goat attacks are rare, and unprovoked fatal gores are virtually unheard of. Everyone is telling me to kill it for meat. Or it could have had identity issues: After attacking the hiker on Saturday, the goat stood over his body for nearly an hour. Most mountain goats roam the vast open spaces of Alaska and Canada, where they tend to have very little contact with humans. If the wether doesn’t have horns, the odds are not good that the horned goat will stop. We recently acquired a buck. And if so how do I set it up? How do I keep my wether from head butting my doe? I’ve had the most shy goat in the herd be my best buddy, as well as the herd queen being the most people friendly at different times. It’s out of character for him. one boy and one girl. Although an attempted stoning by would-be rescuers didn’t seem to scare Saturday’s murderous goat, a similar approach tends to work pretty well against ungulates. Thank you! Usually goats butt heads a lot when they are new to each other, then it calms down as the pecking order has been established. Thank you. Thank you. His buddy which was my single Nigerian is now being bullied constantly by the twins. So I let them spend time together daily? I was thinking in terms of able to open the door, swing it in perhaps above the hay……say when snow is blowing in…. Unfortunately, that’s pretty common. Can you explain how/why this will make a difference? Sometime if they share a fenceline initially they are more mellow when they are finally on the same side of the fence, but that depends on their individual personalities too. I can not attack goats and several factions, how do I set my people to combat? Recently one of the purebreds disbudded horn started to bleed but was still intact. Any suggestions on how to calm him down. These are the only two we have, will they ever get along ? I’ve heard of rams killing each other, but I’ve never heard of one breaking off a horn. Sounds like he is getting scurs, which is not uncommon for a goat that was disbudded, especially males. Now they aretogether and the momma is so mean to the two Nigerians. It is not a good idea to put horned and not horned animals together for this reason. Sheep and goats are a better match than 2 breeds of goats especially if some are seasonal and others non seasonal breeders. If you separate them and put them back together daily, that’s just going to make things worse. They have all been together for almost two years and two of them were born over 18 months ago. HELP. Should I keep him separate from them? Will he be ok. This morning we watched a male goat kill an elderly goat by budding her knocking her down breaking her legs and continuing to ram her over and over and over again is this normal go behavior? It is almost like she is stalking them. Even if she gives birth vaginally, she could wind up with internal tearing that could create scar tissue and make future kiddings dangerous. I’m interested in your “placing Vick’s under the males nose” comment. You can cancel anytime. If they are not, you may need to figure out a way to feed them separately … perhaps two separate hay feeders. Three of the goats were weather’s, one pygmy was the dominant one. or should i be shutting the door so they can go out at certain times? She even tries to butt them through the panels separating the stalls. We are afraid she is going to hurt him, will she hurt him? If you separate them, they will just start over again when you put them back together. It is normal for moms to be protective of their babies. I never say anything is impossible, but I have never heard of two does hurting each other when head butting — unless one was pregnant. Coming from the ninth layer of hell, Chupacabras have developed a strong hate for mankind and have made it one of their goals to eliminate the human race. https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-birthing-beginners-guide/. However, dingoes are much more of a danger to livestock, especially to sheep and young cattle. Any suggestions? Will they hurt her or are they just establishing a pecking order? Thanks. Usually you hear about this when a doe rejects kids after disbudding, but I really don’t think it helps. That sounds horrible. I wouldn’t worry about anything down to at least 10 below Celsius as long as they have a place to get out of the wind — and it ‘s not snowing. My female beats up my male Then hits him a second time when he faints. It is “normal” for goats to be aggressive towards kids other than their own. Had brother (a wether) and sister tollengburg living together in 1/3 acre field for 12 years. The underdog is not looking to fight, but actually avoiding the new dominant male. However since you only have two does, you can expect some head butting between them when you put them back together. I’m trying to get them used to each other and she didn’t treat my other Nigerian Dwarf like this. The barn raised goat is being mean to the nicer calmer sister raised goat. I had owned goats for eight years when one night I saw two bucks butting heads at sundown. I have a bottle baby that I’m trying to let play with siblings. Most mountain goats roam the vast open spaces of Alaska and Canada, where they tend to have very little contact with humans. Goats in general are very social, curious, gentle, independent and intelligent creatures. They only keep fighting as long as both are holding out hope that they can be the top goat. ok, we built a door, locked the three in for the night. Be sure she has easy access to food and water. Help!! Now one of the females is being very agressive to the other. But the kids will also have to learn that they can only nurse off their own mom, so they will get butted away a few times. 2 Nigerian pygmy. Now, we are not sure if the Nubian is pregnant, but Pepper the Nigerian definitely is. Are there any pros and cons to them? They all have horns. I am afraid she is going to get hurt. They have to establish their pecking order. We just added two females that are 2 months old. She is still the same size today so I don’t think she was birthing and since I took him away she stopped bleeding after about 2 or 3 days . Required fields are marked *. Is this normal? So much! We had 3 goats, a lamancha, Nubian, and a Nigerian mini. It that particular case the mountain goat was known to harass hikers and had been around humans before. Kids bounce pretty well if they’re just hit in the middle of nowhere, especially after they’re a few days old. In that case, they may act like this forever. If he is pushing him against a fence like woven wire or welded wire, he should be fine because the fence is flexible, so he won’t get squashed. Plus if there are kids in the pen, he could get a doeling pregnant when she is still too small to give birth safely. She tongue flaps, blubbers, tries to mount our weather and is acting just like a male in rut. Scurs can get broken off when butting heads with any goat, but it is not a good idea to mix horned goats with goats that don’t have horns because the ones with horns have an unfair advantage, and it can end badly. They just have to work it out on their own. On flat ground, they usually won’t let people get within 500 yards. We have two does purchased and brought home at the same time with our dwarf donkey. But I am not sure if I should get a doe this time or if I should just stick with another wethered male. Goats can transmit several diseases to humans, including: Leptospirosis — This disease is widely distributed in domestic and wild animals. He could also get a doeling pregnant when she is way too small, and she would need a c-section. They butt heads and slam their heads into other goats’ sides. I’ve been checking on her and she seems to be ok. She has a very heavy coat and takes shelter under one of their stands. They were apart about 2 months. We previously had a sheep that we also gave bottle too and he became so aggresive when he got bog that we couldnt go near him. You may need to get a second hay feeder, if they are fighting over food, or something like that. She just within the last couple weeks has become very aggressive. Any ideas of how or what I should do? Every goat has to have a place in the pecking order, which does not necessarily translate to their relationships with people. Now I want him to have a friend! How do i go about making sure they are warm enough and also when they should be out. The Lamancha was a young buck that got our Nigerian pregnant, but didn’t seem tall enough to get the Nubian pregnant. Finally, if goats start exhibiting overly curious or aggressive behavior, Stay Together – Goats can easily mistake a lot of people close together or with their coats held open as a much larger animal that they do not want to face.Don’t separate — goats are much more likely to attack a single person than a group. If they seemed to be okay with each other after a few minutes, then you can leave them together, but if not, then it might help to have them share a fenceline for a few days until they get used to each other. They won’t let her have her share of hay, and sometimes they’ll even try to keep her out of the shelter. If I am understanding correctly, that is a recipe for disaster. We checked her eyes because she couldn’t see. When I tried to bring my wether back in with her, mom wants nothing to do with him. (I read so many different opinions that I’m confused….). I have a three day old kid that was rejected by its mama and I am now bottle-feeding. Please try again. They learned to eat and drink water by watching the other triplet’s mama. That’s why I started using kidding pens. If so for how long? You didn’t say whether this kid was being dam raised, but it would very weird if another doe was keeping her away from her mother. You don’t want to take them away from mom before they are two months if they are dam raised. He needs to be separated. Their behavior is becoming more aggressive which I assume means more mature. The one used to be the dominant male is now an outcast, by the new male, and He will not let him inside the shed to sleep. They are very nasty to him. The chupacabra or chupacabras (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃupaˈkaβɾas], literally 'goat-sucker'; from Spanish: chupar, 'to suck', and cabras, 'goats') is a legendary creature in the folklore of parts of the Americas, with its first purported sightings reported in Puerto Rico in 1995. It’s typical goat behavior. Can they change? Hi, I have a boer doe that keeps head butting and pinning a 1 month old Nigerian Dwarf buck against the fence. I loved milking the one Doe that had kids but if breeding season is like this then I will be done having goats . I really don’t want to get another goat at this point. The blood is way more then a table spoon , it leaks out to a small puddle every time she naps or lays to chew her cud . they all have horns. No bucks. How do you defend yourself against a mountain goat attack? We leave in the north east so it’s winter obviously and I don’t want to keep our other goats outside because these two new one’s won’t let them in. They came to me when they were 2 months old. I just bred them, so they should both be pregnant, so I am even more concerned, especially since the older one like to ram herself into the smaller one’s stomach. I have 2 goats – both female – they get along 90% of the time but every now and then the one picks on the other so bad she can’t lay down or eat – what should I do? In most cases one of the goats will give up and refuse to continue fighting, but I did have a buck wind up with a concussion once. What can I do for him? She is not bleeding, but I’m afraid she may internal damage. At night I have them seperated so they don’t hurt the mini. I’ve also noticed where he was disbudded it’s growing back, just on the one side! At what age should you separate a young buckling from the rest of the herd? It seems to escalate with me in the pen. My black older one got aggressive and making noises. If you have to deal with a goat like this a lot, you can try to train it out of charging people through positive and negative reinforcement. I am worried about his well being. For NDs that means they should be at least 40 pounds, or you could be looking at a c-section in five months. They protect themselves by staying on steep terrain, so if you meet a goat on the trail, it won't immediately react by running away. Hopefully they will get things worked out. It’s hard to know what motivated Saturday’s attack. Luckily it’s over when they are not in heat any longer, so it only lasts a day or two. They are all dwarfs but the dominant one is definitely bigger than our other male. So two of my goats got into some rat poison, the kind that makes the blood thin. Hello, I am new to having goats. If they are intact bucks, they need to be separated so they don’t get the does pregnant. The owners had 2 sisters that were 2 years old. I want to know why is it that billy goats headbutt people in the rear end the minute you bend over? We have three weathered males and one doe. Every now and again, a goat might wind up with a little blood on the top of its head, especially if it has scurs, but long-term injury is extremely rare. If they start going after the other doe’s kids, I’d stay and watch until they get a little more relaxed. Have had the nuby’s in the 1/3 acre field for 2 weeks. Goats were also the first species humans domesticated, about 10,000 years ago, giving them a head start. There is a pecking order with them but they get along. It could be anywhere from $250 to $1000 and that is NOT a decision you want to have to make with a doe screaming in labor. I coudln’t begin to guess why he was acting like that. Crying for each other when we separated them etc. also will the goats know when to go inside their home when it is too cold or is there certain times i should be keeping the door shut in their home so they can’t go in and out all the time? Mountain goats don't have the same "flight" response to humans as many other animals. Jun 20, 2017 @ 2:44pm right click hold, select attack unprovoked. But I also had a goat that was being butted so much that I was worried she’d lose her pregnancy, and she carried both kids to full term. One of my concerns is that the two little ones wont end up as friendly; because usually whenever I go into the field the old wether always runs up to me. It depends on the individuals. Is there a way to get them used to each other again?? But I’ve also had a couple of goats that seemed to be getting beaten up pretty badly, and they were fine. It really depends on how cold it gets in your area and if she can get out of the wind. You can try feeding them in separate stalls in the barn or placing their hay feeders far apart. They usually do. I’m assuming you’re not milking because they normally get grain on the milk stand anyway. Remember he is capable of running away. We got two goats 3 years ago and one of them came pregnant. I don’t want her to kid again until next summer. Any tips? Don’t get a kid. Typically they do that because someone thought it was cute to “butt heads” with them when they were little, so they think it’s an acceptable way to communicate with people. Before he got sick they would head butt and challenge each other but this is much worse. their shared camp is nice and big, but their heads start bleeding from all the head budding. Here’s my free course on breeding goats: At the moment if one of the kids sticks it’s nose into the other pen the doe will head butt the wall as if to scare it off. Kids that age probably won’t hurt her, but I wouldn’t guarantee it. Should we separate them and wait for the females to be bigger or leave them to figure it out on their own. Recently my wether is being overly aggressive ramming in her side, and trying to “mate” for lack of a better term with her, he’s biting her fur too. It could be confusing about whose kids are whose if they both kid overnight or when you’re not there. Transmission of the organism to humans can occur through skin abrasions and mucous membranes by contact with urine or … I just brought home a 8week old buck for them. This type of thing can happen, although it’s pretty rare. We have 4 does. If the older doe has horns, she could definitely hurt it. Veterinarians have taken tissue samples to check for illnesses, but they probably won’t reveal anything useful. We recently got two bucks that have been together since birth. I have 4 month old male and female Lemancha/Nigerian dwarf mix goats. Thanks. And the set up in half inside a barn and half outside. I have a 4 month old doe and buck. But the girls need to be able to smell their kids so not for the girls. I do hope he is castrated (wethered) so that he doesn’t get her pregnant. Is she only doing this because she’s pregnant and will she stop once she has the babies or is my only solution to put a pool noodle on her horns so she doesn’t kill my male. He only doesn’t when it comes to food. We go out and hang out with them quite a bit and always give the most attention to the Pygmy. She is almost acting like she is concussed or has brain damage. Any advice would be appreciated. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Success! The bully kidded January 8 and the smallest doe kidded January 22. Don’t get a boer (a huge meat breed). Thanks. Thank you I’m to goats and this is really helpfull my doe is bleeding under the horns a little bit. Getting another goat won’t stop the head butting because then they will still have to figure out who’s boss with the new goat. If you think the one is still not healthy, you can separate them again for a few more days, but eventually you will have to put them back together, and they will go through this to establish who is in charge. Typo. They didn’t eat much but I’m very scared and can’t seem to find much online. Is there any prevention that i can take for the goat to hit us with her head when she gets big. Do goats attack people? I got 3 Boer goats that were born late December 2019. The new goat is so timid. #1. Is this normal behavior? One had 2 twin kids. You need to get him a buddy FAST before he learns bad habits that he will teach to his new friend. If you keep taking them apart and reintroducing them, you will see the same thing play out every time you reintroduce them. There was an error submitting your subscription. P.s. She beats the crap out of him, her back legs trembling and everything. The funny thing is that if you take one goat and put her by herself, she will probably complain loudly about being alone. Also the males have great shelter but no heat source. Do you have any experience with a doe acting bucky? You should never have horned goats with goats that do not have horns as the horned goats know they have the advantage and can get really mean. I recently purchased 2 Kiko bucks about 8 months old. I have 2 does that are the same age. Your shelter is big enough. Other than for breeding, males and females should be kept separate anyway, so hopefully when you remove the boys, they will get along fine together again. With the sheep, if he was not castrated, that would have also caused him to be more aggressive. Our pygmy seems to focus on the smallest Nigerian and will slam him against the fence/wall when he gets the chance (he head buts the pther one too but that one stands up for himself more). Both my goats have horns. At least they only come into heat every 21 days. A goat could wind up with a broken neck if they stick their head under it and another one slams into their body. If you have other goats, it would help a little to put them with the rest of the goats because the head butting would get spread around a little rather than it just being these two butting heads. Looking forward to your newsletter. It has nothing to do with age, and there is no way to avoid it. How long do you do this for? Responsibility to not keep bucks in the general herd population.. too many safety issues. Goat herds are hierarchical. I have 2 kids about 4 months old, they were separated from my other 3 goats but the other 3 broke through the barrier between the 2 enclosures, which is ok, they all get a long except the babies are supposed to have access to grain (as much as they want) but I can’t keep it in there anymore because the other goats at it all and head butt the babies if they try to go near the feeding dish! The look of this goat is ferocious and it actually hails from the northern parts of India. Basically you are completely overwhelming the goat’s sense of smell so that they can’t smell anything else. Thank you! Just like humans, sheep like to maintain a distance, or safe zone, between themselves and others. Oh sure, baby goats LOOK adorable and all cuddly and great, but they have a dark side. Hi. Thanks so much for the response. Take lonely brother to another farm with several goats to keep him company. They said it was highly unlikely and even if he did, the sperm wouldn’t be viable due to body temp heat killing them off, but they did offer to pay for an ultrasound if the behavior gets worse. I separated them. I was also wondering about how much food I can give it. No one can predict when the does will come into heat, but since it’s fall, which is typically breeding season, they will probably come into heat sooner rather than later. The kids horns looked chipped/cracked. He did get out and into the Does pen for just one night and the same happened again . If you are new to goats, it’s better for you to have a 5-day window for a due date, rather than having no idea when to expect kids — especially if it’s in the middle of winter when kids could freeze to death if they’re born unattended. Until his brother turns up..Thank you! It’s just the way their social hierarchy works. This is normal goat behavior. Most does will accept the kids again within a few hours after the smell of the disbudding has worn off and they can once again smell the kid as their kid. I understand if he’s at the bottom of the totem pole but it’s like he’s not even part of the herd. we have a shelter that can be closed up at night time to be away from predators and the elements of the cold but do i let the goats out throughout the days as it gets ariny ,snowy and windy here in canada where i am at. Is there anyway to stop it besides separating? There is no guarantee that the underdog will use it, but maybe he will, and it may help you feel slightly better because you’ve given him the option. Can two goats butt heads playfully when one has horns and the other does not??? They are all the same size. Might rules, but so does nepotism. I have two bucks that grew up together. The smaller Nigerian actively tries to avoid the Pygmy and seems scared of him. In those cases it’s a good idea to put her in a different pen with a younger doe as a companion. My herd has suddenly singled out one doe and they won’t allow her to take shelter inside the building. Your email address will not be published. You don’t want them locked up in a barn all day long, every day because they need fresh air. Also, should I quarantine? Always be ready to fight one off at the sight of one. Some are far more dominant than others. Some bucks are less respectful than others and will drive does crazy constantly trying to mate them, even if they are pregnant already. And everyone ignores the kids … usually … unless one tries to nurse on a doe that is not its mama! I rescued him as a baby and never cut his horns. This is not at all normal breeding behavior, and you should see ZERO blood during breeding. You might want to put them outside so that they can’t slam a kid against the wall. They are Nigerians.Then we rescued a five yr large goat and her wether who is four months old. I let him back in with his brother 2 days ago after he got better. This is totally normal. I have two 1 year old Pygmy wethers (brothers).This week the bigger one got very sick and I had to put him in a separate pen to recover. If she was due to kid now, she would have a large udder so that she could feed her kids when they’re born. Should I just ignore it? Thank you for your quick response ! If you have other big goats, I would just separate the big ones into one pen and the little ones into another pen. The only case I kind find of a human being killed by a mountain goat happened in Olympic National Park in 2010. I would wake her up and she’s very disoriented. The rest of the butting of kids is about teaching behaviour . They will butt the other kids if one tries to nurse off the wrong doe. Add to this the fact that there is no telling how many may be lurking unseen for every rat that you do see. Sorry I forgot to proof read that message. Hopefully they all either have horns — or not. If it’s cold and raining, and they won’t let him in, you might need to come up with a temporary alternative. If you put two or three does back with the herd, then the head butting gets spread around. If your does are at least 2/3 of their adult weight, they can be bred now, but do you want kids in 5 months? 18 mos before I had them breed. Plus, if you were planning to add them back to the full herd later, they will just have to go through all of this again. If that’s your concern, then you can stop worrying. In most cases goats will butt heads for a few minutes when first introduced, and once in a while they’ll hit each other with their heads if they want hay or grain that the other one is eating. They usually get things worked out. I’m am desperate to help them. Horned goats can be really mean to those without horns because they have an unfair advantage. Sometimes does get very aggressive when they’re in heat. You need to call around and find a vet that can do a c-section, if needed, and ask ahead of time what the cost will be. Her eyes were not visibly injured. If they are in the open, she probably won’t hurt one too much, but if there is a wall, and she slams one against the wall, she could do serious damage. I am As the kid gets more experience around the doe, it will also learn to avoid her. They both gave birth a day apart from each other. Hello we recently bought a mom goat (Millie) & her 2 babies (boy & girl) in July. I talked to the rescue where I adopted all three and asked if there was a chance he had an undecended testicle. Usually when there is such a big size difference, the smaller one will quickly learn that he can’t win, so he stops trying. It is also important to be sure that you have plenty of space for all the goats to fit in front of hay feeders and feed pans. My weekly newsletter includes recipes and articles on homesteading, raising livestock, health, and gardening. Is there anything we should be doing to ease the transition? You could put them in two pens that are side by side so that they have time to get used to each other and can make faces at each other through the fence. They delivered 2 days apart. No that is not normal — especially to keep butting her after she was down. I obviously removed the 5 year old and put her in another pen. The other one clearly knows his place at the bottom. i am so worried they will gore each other or as your comment above. I’ve never heard of wethers actually hurting each other, but I never say anything is impossible. Can I leave a 3 month old buck with two wethered goats that are 10 months old? Could he be stabbing her ? It’s just the way they are. Any concerns opinions? Hi Christine I think the goats at the zoo are very comfortable around humans. It seems that attacks extremely rare but have happened. Dingo attacks are somewhat common in Australia, particularly on young children. Help. If the buck has been with the does for months, then the doe is probably pregnant. Not necessarily. So my question is I have a male fixed miniature pigmy fainting goat and I got a pregnant female. If he is being rammed against something solid like a building, then it could be a problem. What can I do to get her to stop and get her used to the kid? She is in a huge pen with the other 2 goats and the mini-pony and I allow them out and about on our farmstead for the day. Thanks What is the best way and best time to try to reintroduce it to the herd? What should we do? Most goats are not charging at you and I doubt the zoo would have animals that attack people in the petting zoo area. They seem to enjoy each other and have been playing a lot. Goats have a clearly defined pecking order. Thank you! We’d like to bring their little family back together. I have heard of horned rams fighting until one died, but not goats. Since they have horns, I would keep the new ones separate from the males until they are at least a few months old and closer in size. For this reason, I try very hard never to add an individual goat to the herd. I waited until they were Usually they don’t butt heads for more than half an hour, maybe an hour or two. Females are typically more aggressive than males. I’m sorry you had to see it. My question is, when I am out with them my first doe does not like the new doe coming around me and she will head butt her so hard it knocks the new one over. However, the fact that the new underdog used to be the dominant one means he has a personality that might mean he doesn’t really want to do that. Just because you didn’t see the buck successfully mate the other goat does NOT mean he didn’t do it. What do I do?? Sorry if I am asking you the same question that you have answered. We have since gotten the Lamacha male a new home and are waiting anxiously for Pepper to give birth. If that just happens for a couple of days every three weeks, it could just be that she is in heat. Whats the problem? This is making me nervous about introducing everyone back into the larger pen. You don’t have to separate the two smaller goats when they kid unless you are worried about the safety of the kids. It’s a not a good idea to have horned goats with goats that have no horns because the horned ones have an unfair advantage. If the new wether has horns, and the others do not, then that’s a problem, and you may need to consider housing him separately along with a horned friend who would be on a more equal playing ground. Do they grow stronger as they get older or repair themselves? That sounds very scary. I have two young wethers about 2months and four months old. If the does are on pasture, the younger one will get plenty to eat. If she has horns, then yes, they should absolutely be separated. In fact, you might try using a drench syringe to see if she needs water now. By then the kids are really on their feet and can handle it if another doe butts them. Most attacks on small livestock and pets are by coyotes or free-ranging dogs, rather than bobcats. I kept them separated for the first month. Out of 650 kids here, we’ve had four does that were carrying kids that were just over 5#. I think if you are making generalizations about fighting you need to distinguish goat types. We have been giving the other doe limited time with mum and kid outside and she is still butting at this stage. They are getting on well & having lots of fun. They are not equally matched. Hope I am having the exception . You can’t make him stop. They really need a companion. We just got two 1 month old baby females, one of my males is not letting the females around him! You don’t want to just separate the one buck because he would be lonely, and if it gets cold in winter where you are, he would also be cold. I did have a ram lamb once break off a horn, but he got it caught in a fence so he was pulling the horn away from the skull, and who knows how long he was doing it before it broke. I will keep them separate for a couple weeks at least. 2. I have a wether and a doe, they came together as brother and sister. We got them when they were 2 months old. She should be with other kids her age. But if these are the only two you have, you’ll just have to wait it out for a little while. They may not come into heat this time of year so may not get pregnant until late summer, so then you have to ask yourself if you want kids in the middle of January. Is there anything I can do to stop this or do I just need to give him another place to sleep? Generally in normal condition, a goat can survive for about 12 to 14 years. We only have two goats and don’t plan on expanding our “herd” lol. They have remained separated from the males but I am trying to slowly introduce them during the daytime. Bring treats with you whenever you see this goat, and it'll learn that you're a good person who has food. I have 2 does that will be turning 2 this October. The animals normally become aggressive only when they feel trapped, so in a confrontation with one of them, your best tactic is to flee. I have two feeders, two water buckets, and multiple climbing areas so she can get away from him but I’m worried he’s going to hurt her. Two days later the other doe had a premature birth and the baby died. When does are in heat, they will act completely different. If he does push them away, just remember that they will get bigger and pushier. Just wanted to add my two cents. That’s actually a very popular cross for diaries. I got a goat 3 days ago and he is jumping the fence . < > Showing 1-2 of 2 comments . Any suggestions? If you don’t want to have two bucks, you could get a wether to keep him company, although I will warn you that he may not be nice to the wether. Thanks for your response. 5 Does and a wither. Hopefully you have other Nigerians that you can put the kid with. The other female, however, os much larger, has horns and is very aggressive. I know it’s normal to butt heads to establish order and sometimes they will bleed, but should I try and keep them separated a little until it is fully healed? She also still looks pregnant because she eats constantly and chases the others away from food even though we have multiple hay sources and pans for the grain feed. Having a very friendly goat is actually one way to make other goats friendly. It may be that the goat in question happened to have a very aggressive personality. If you can stall the attack for long enough, someone might come to your rescue—preferably with a gun. You might find they are spending too much time inside. I just don’t want his horns to break off. Hi, I have 2 2 year old wethered males, 1 was disbudded and the other still has horns. She seems to be head butting her very hard & none stop. She just couldn’t see. Here is more on goats in winter — Just acquired 2 nubian wethers 10 weeks old. And since goats are herd animals, you need another doe and another buck or wether so they are not alone. The mother is due in about a month. It’s too bad the seller didn’t ask if you had any horned goats. I intervene so she can get a break when I’m in the pen with them. Since goats are herd animals, they want to be with other goats, so if you don’t have another buck or a wether to be with your buck, he will be trying to get back in with your does constantly. If you just want pets, wethers are best. There is not anything you can do about it. I got two male goats in April and we got them fixed! I am new to goats so this is turning me off owning then if this is the norm . I figured they would be excited to be together, but our mama goat Millie keeps head butting her sister, the one we just took in. Idk what the blood might have been about, but I don’t really think it’s fair to assume the buck’s horns were the cause, or that he should go to the freezer. I usually wait until the kids are at least a few days old before putting them with other moms and babies. So I moved the first mom and her twins into a much smaller and separate pen. I think one of the does lost her baby from being butted in the sides so much. Kids don’t need more than a handful of grain, which you can feed them personally. One time I had a very mellow doe with triplets the same age, so I put a set of orphaned triplets in a stall with her and her kids. I really hope you mean WETHER — a castrated male — and not an intact buck. Nigerian kids are usually about 3 pounds. A lot of goats wind up getting dehydrated if they are too weak to walk to the water bucket. If they are outside and the little one can run away, it is less likely to get seriously injured. It’s not the smell of disbudding that’s the problem. I had two does. One of the mixes keep ramming and headbutting the baby. Herbivores like mountain goats are susceptible to rabies, but infections are rare. Thank you. In national parks where the mountain goats are an introduced species, they have become so accustomed to people that they’ll let hikers come within a few feet. Try to get out of the pen as quickly as possible. Ask the Explainer. They seem to like one another and get along most of the time. I have two Nigerian dwarf bucks (about 1 yr old) and recently added 2 Nigerian/Nubian does (also about 1 yr old). Another dangerous goat diseases that might passed to humans listeriosis. Once their disbudding scabs are healed over, you shouldn’t see any more blood unless one of them starts to get scurs (small bits of horn growth), and then one might bleed if they knock off a scur. If you don’t have another buck to keep him company, you can try putting him in a neighboring pen so they share a fenceline, although he probably wont’ be happy about that initially. Hi, I have a female sheep, a male goat and a black bellied ram. Someone has to be the top goat, and they are working that out. She would be standing for him to mount her. Most people don’t keep a buck with their does because he could wind up getting them pregnant way too often. If the owner of the goat is near, call them for help. (The animals are a bit less skittish on rocky cliffs, where they have a natural advantage.) And even then, it’s very unusual for one to get hurt. Unfortunately the new goat was dehorned when I got her so the other female goat who is going after the new one has the advantage. or is there a chance they will injure each other badly? The occasionally had but my baby but after a couple head when she stands up for herself & they back off. Bobcat footprints will not have toenail marks, as coyotes' and dogs' do. Some also are seasonal breeders. She was very lethargic but pulled through. My sheep are always together in a herd for lambing and that happened once. We had several 2 year old pygmy wethers and lost one recently. Thank you!!! I ignored it because no one had ever been hurt in the past. When you breed a large buck to a small doe, there is a very high risk of the kid being too large for the doe to successfully give birth. We got 2 does at 8 months old back in March. The horns won’t break off from head butting. Afraid of him. Although attacks against humans are few and far between, mountain goats are among the most aggressive ungulates toward their own species. If these males are bucks rather than wethers (castrated) and some of the other goats are does, that is a much bigger problem, and you need to figure out how to keep them separated. There is no reason a LM cannot breed a Nubian. Should I keep them apart for a little while or let them head butt it out? Be careful with it so it doesn’t go down the wrong way. I have two female goats that are different breeds around the same age one is alot bigger than the other. Sounds like the goat is a female, so you won’t have to worry about her hormones making her aggressive. So, it would take as much force to break off a horn as it would to break off a leg. I have a veterinary mobile clinic coming in Wednesday but am wondering if there is anything you know about the subject. But the male with horns also shows aggression towards us, my girls who are 6 and 3 are terrified of him because he head butts them all the time. Should I be worried? The rest of the time they got on great together. Each year, over 6000 people are traumatized by goats in the United States alone. This is one reason I do not recommend having horned goats. Since they were my only two goats they lived together 24/7. She was bloody in the rear again , for some reason it’s just the same Doe and she is frantic to get away from him . I have a new mom that is aggressive to another pregnant goat. A buck should NOT be with a four-month-old doe, or she could wind up pregnant, which could lead to a c-section or death. If you can get another goat friend for her, that would be ideal so that she will have someone who speaks her language. Either he has tried to nurse recently, or she “thinks” he may want to, so she’s just letting him know that he is no longer her baby. You can identify a dog attack because dogs usually go for a goat’s hind legs and rear end. Are you saying they should be kept separate even when there aren’t any kids and when the does aren’t milking? is helping. When I let her out for the day to mingle with the rest of the herd, she attacked her one year old relentlessly – ramming him in the side. An Apline and Saanen. I have 2 weather goats. I have a mother and daughter pair that are both pregnant and about 3 months apart. You could also take the younger one aside or put her on a milk stand to give her a cup of grain per day until she regains body condition. You didn’t specify whether the males are bucks or wethers (castrated). I hope there is something I can do to stop his very bad behaviour towards his brother. And most boers have horns, which makes it even more dangerous. Would they stop fighting? The kids are about 2 weeks old now. I am concerned, as it is getting colder, and snow in the forecast. Here is more info about goats in winter: Now the smaller brother has become incredibly aggressive towards him, he not only head butts but charges and rams him in his side. My concern is that the females are half the size of the males. Bug control and eggs (win win). They are all from different mothers but the two pure breds bully the mix and headbutt her constantly. Some people actually keep a wether with their does to let them know when the does are in heat. There was only a fence between so they could still see each other. It’s highly unlikely that he will hurt her unless they have horns. It’s unlikely that the bigger goat will hurt the baby. It’s usually once done once. I hope the commenter consulted a vet or other experienced person about his bleeding doe and figured out what was going on. The pen is large, I see no conflict, except at the feeder, the new wether won’t let the the other one feed there when he is there, is all. If you get more goats, they will have to sort out their pecking order. One male (which has been castrated, and 2 females) They all get along pretty well. You pay the same price when you purchase through affiliate links as you would if you went directly to Amazon, and our site earns a small commission, so by shopping through our links, you are helping to support our blog so that we can continue to provide you with free content. Recently we put the two with doe’s to cover, but as I dont want the males always with the females i wanted to put the two bucks back together, but they butting heads badly. It’s not unusual. Is is okay to have a wether around a pregnant doe? The mix is very sweet and never fights back. N. I am a new goat momma. The billy now is chasing her relentlessly and she has a messy rear end . Thank you in advance for any advice. So a good idea to keep these females penned until the hormones subside a bit. A big goat with horns can do a lot of damage to smaller goats. One of the seasonal breeders is angora goats and they are also the most docile. I have heard some horror stories about does with horns, but those are pretty rare. I’m worried that separating the pair will stress them out but once the babies are born I pretty much have to right?