# Annoying Things Non Goat People Say



## rosti (Dec 26, 2017)

The biggest reaction I get when somone finds out I have goats is: “Oh, my grandpa’s friend used to have a goat, and I kid you not, he ate tins cans! He’d just chew them up and swalow them down! I seen him do it myself!” (Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but it goes pretty similar to that.)
What annoying things do people tell/ask you?


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 26, 2017)

Having lamanchas, we always get the "why did you cut their ears off?!" questions. At one show I had a guy run up, looking visibly upset, about two inches from my face, asking why I would cut the goats ears off 
I explained, the guy thought I was lying. 
I told him, grab your phone and google lamancha goat… he finally believed me after a long discussion about the breed. 
Now, we have Lamanchas, Nigerian's and a Nubian all together. Long ears, erect ears, and gopher ears all in the same pen. Nobody says anything about the Nubians, but my gosh we must be torturing the lamanchas 

I can't stand people calling a goat billy/nanny. 

Some people are mortified that goats just poop or pee whenever they want. I had a lady who looked mortified and disgusted by this, loudly saying "it's pooping!"  
I said yeah, goats do that. They're goats. 

Sometimes it's what GOAT people say that really drive me crazy. I heard an ADGA judge  say a doe was "overbagged"


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## babsbag (Dec 26, 2017)

I had a friend that was out hiking with her goats and a little boy asked her if her goat was a girl or a boy and she said "girl". He then asked why it had a beard and she said that some girls have beards. Kids asking questions is ok, we all get that. But then his dad wanted to know if she milked the "boys" too.


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 26, 2017)

That's just weird. 

But then again, she could always show him a picture of a milk buck too- I know a few breeders who have had a lactating buck!


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## goats&moregoats (Dec 27, 2017)

I had one young lady who totally lacked understanding of farms altogether. I had just completely cleaned out the barn from deep waste winter. There were of course goat droppings on the floor, some old some fresh..she very seriously asked if "I was going to bring the vacuum out and finish cleaning the floor" 

Another person, male in late 30's asked if I just put them in the pasture and let them take care of themselves....I tried to picture them feeding each other, hoof trimming being done in sync and them pleasantly carrying the milk to my back door....the pictures just did not form. I looked up self caring goats on the  and came up with absolutely nothing


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## Southern by choice (Dec 27, 2017)




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## 4HGoatGirl (Dec 27, 2017)

We were at a 4H event and were visiting the Large Stock kids with their Market goats Dairy goats and Lambs. Then this lady walked up and said to a girl with a Market goat “Oh! Your goat’s so cute! Does it live inside with you?” “No, he doesn’t live inside with me.” The girl replied “Oh. So THESE must be the goats that live inside!” She said pointing to the dairy goat. “No Ma’am. None of the goats live inside with us. They are all OUTDOOR animals.” The leader said. “Are you sure?” She asked. “Yup, pretty sure my mom wouldn’t allow it.” A girl said. The woman looked very confused but eventually moved on.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 27, 2017)

Love this one-

The "Billy's" have horns and the "nanny's" don't.


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## Bruce (Dec 27, 2017)




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## Southern by choice (Dec 30, 2017)

BottleBabbiesrLife said:


> when people say "where are you keeping a male goat (horned goat) with the female, you want them to have babies" no its that all goats have horns unless you burn there head off


ok- this is one of those annoying things non goat people say...
First- you don't "burn the head off"
Second- not all goats have horns. Many are polled. I have quite a few goats that are polled.

It is clear from you many post regarding the issue you are pro horn. That is fine, you have an opinion on the matter and this community is rather respectful of differing opinions. Because you are young (as you stated in another thread) and have just gotten your first goats, everyone here wants to encourage you in your endeavors. Love seeing youth involved! On the other side of that coin learning from those that have been doing this for a long time is beneficial for you. You may never agree or disbud a goat but please don't discount the reasons of seasoned experienced breeders and why they do. Sadly far too many animal activists give inaccurate info and new people into the livestock realm are doing great harm to the livestock because of city folk not having a clue.
As I shared earlier in your other post, I once was very pro horned, however time and experience has taught me a whole new perspective. I also put up examples to share the realities. https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/horns-or-no-horns.37180/#post-532047


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## Hens and Roos (Dec 30, 2017)

How about when someone who knows nothing about goats tries to tell someone else all about your goats


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## BottleBabbiesrLife (Dec 30, 2017)

Southern by choice said:


> ok- this is one of those annoying things non goat people say...
> First- you don't "burn the head off"
> Second- not all goats have horns. Many are polled. I have quite a few goats that are polled.
> 
> ...


I got them 1 year ago


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## Pastor Dave (Dec 30, 2017)

Ok, quick question,  weren't they fairly commonly called billy and nanny prior to buck or doe being common terminology for them?


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## Southern by choice (Dec 30, 2017)

Pastor Dave said:


> Ok, quick question,  weren't they fairly commonly called billy and nanny prior to buck or doe being common terminology for them?



Yes, some still do. 
It is cringe worthy. 
Alot of old timers still use it, mostly those that are not very knowledgeable use those terms. Not all, but mostly.  

most of the time those terms are used by people that will go to a stockyard and pick up anything... know nothing about disease, parasites, and don't want to- they just "need a billy for their nanny so she can have some kids". 

Nothing wrong with it, just old school... met some folks that still call them that and the nicest easiest going people that you could meet... and willing to learn.


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## greybeard (Dec 30, 2017)

> but please don't discount the reasons of seasoned experienced breeders and why they do



sage advice for most livestock. If not harm to each other then to their human handlers. 

Hooves are bad enough on both bovidae and Cervidae..horns are just an unnecessary risk factor IMO. It only takes once......
Out of 30 something hd of cattle (didn't count them today) I only have 2 left with horns and those 2 better not hiccup or they'll go down the road.


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## Bills Vs Beaks (Jan 3, 2018)

Southern by choice said:


> Love this one-
> 
> The "Billy's" have horns and the "nanny's" don't.


haha! me too!

I had some people over recently. Thought you gotta keep roos seperate so you can eat the eggs (cant eat fertiles, ya know  ) and goats start milking on their own. Kinda like a hen just starts laying like that........would be nice to skip the breeding for the goats though


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## dianneS (Jan 3, 2018)

I think that the most common annoying thing I get asked is "Do you milk your goats?"  Now that is generally not an annoying question, and a valid one.  However, I don't breed goats, I don't keep bucks.  Everyone is a wether or a doe and they're all for entertainment value, none of them serve any real purpose other than being pampered lazy goats.  When I reply to the above question:  "No I don't breed goats, I don't have a breeding buck to impregnate my females, so no one is lactating around here!"  They look at me like I'm crazy!  Then they stand there and mentally work it out and finally realize "Oh yeah!  Pregnancy is necessary for lactation!!!"  Ding! The lightbulb goes on!

I did have an argument with a guy about the tin can thing.  He insisted that his uncle's goat ate and passed a tin can because he had a can caked with goat poo as proof.  I said "Sorry, your uncle is pulling your leg.  He found a poop coated can in the goat pen, I guarantee you that it never passed through a goat's digestive system."  I think I really deflated the poor guy.  He thought he had a really cool story to tell...


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## Goat Whisperer (Jan 3, 2018)




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## Lewanu-mom16 (Jan 3, 2018)

Most annoying thing I have had non goat people come up and ask me would have to be “does he live in the house with u? And what do u raise it for?” There r so many times I’m in town with my lil guy nunu who for many of you that might not already know serves as my esa animal for anxiety and depression, I’ve not been able to get him a new esa best yet because he is not done growing til this may, but when people see him and I tell them no I originally did raise him in the house while he was still small but now he’s boarded at a barn outside and that I tell them he’s my therapy pet they look at me sometimes like I’m crazy. Not every therapy pet is a cat or a dog there r folks where I’m from that I personally know that have potbelly pigs and even snakes as therapy pets but there’s been a few occasions where I’ve met people that don’t think the same way we folks with mental health care concerns do so it creates a lot of unwanted negativity. So I try to do the right thing which is proper education so people have a better understanding of why nunu walks with me on a harness and leash in town. And sometimes I meet folks that ask if I raise goats for meat and although I know I could never go vegan I would never have the heart to raise an animal only to kill it at some point in the future and when I explain that and what nunu is actually for I sometimes have had people respond in ways that r just downright rude and disrespectful! One time a lady and her teenage son and daughter asked me if I raised meat goats I said no and what nunu was for and she says to me “wow u must be a mental case to not have the ability to make up your mind, I’m shocked to see u can even handle a goat on a leash without someone helping u at all!” And she walks off! Keep in mind this was at a local Petco where I’m from! Her son and daughter thankfully were raised much better then that and stayed back to apologize to me I told them don’t worry about it I’ve dealt with it all my life it’s gonna happen no matter where I go I just have learned to ignore it but they said, “ even so u are so brave and smart to handle this so well & our mom has been going thru divorce so she’s got no right talking to u like that we will deal with this rest assured!” Shortly after that I went back in a couple days later one of the regular employees that knows me personally came up & says the two kids told her what happened and after speaking with the manager about that they banned there Mom from ever setting foot in the store again kids were welcome tho for standing up for me!


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## Pastor Dave (Jan 3, 2018)

The world is just too full of inconsiderate people!


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 3, 2018)

Not sure if it's annoying, but I'm often amazed that some *women*
who are also mothers don't understand that the goat has to have a baby to make milk.


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## wolf (Jan 3, 2018)

OneFineAcre said:


> Not sure if it's annoying, but I'm often amazed that some *women*
> who are also mothers don't understand that the goat has to have a baby to make milk.



That's really strange! My children were born "city", and I nursed all five. When I first got goats folks asked me "How did you learn to milk them?" - and I said "It's just like doing me." Yeah - got strange looks!


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## Heather Law (Jan 3, 2018)

You know, this discussion is very educational for someone like me who is just getting started with goats. Now I know exactly what NOT to say


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## TAH (Jan 3, 2018)

Do you have a midwife on call for if something goes wrong during kidding for your doe??? 

Most of the others have been said already.


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## wingedshadowwolf (Jan 3, 2018)

TAH said:


> Do you have a midwife on call for if something goes wrong during kidding for your doe???
> 
> Most of the others have been said already.



The goat herders are the midwives!


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## sheilasanders (Jan 3, 2018)

Once I had my goat kid at the vet and a little girl asked if he eats clothes. I laughingly said, "sometimes", thinking of all the times the kids chew on the bottoms of my shirts. She contemplated this a few minutes, then asked "so..do you just feed them all your old clothes when you get new ones?"


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## Sunset Spring Farm (Jan 4, 2018)

I had one person who had never heard of showing a Dairy Wether! They asked me if he was a Boer. I told him that he was a Nubian/Saanen Mix and he then said that you cannot show dairy goats! He kept arguing with me and insisting that I cannot show Dairy Goats, even though that they had their own area of the fair barn! He then went on to win Reserve Champion Dairy Wether when we showed!

Another person told me that I was performing animal cruelty by owning a LaMancha, because "we apparently cut their ears off." No matter how many times I told them, that that is how they are born, the walked off and screamed "CRUELTY!"


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## Southern by choice (Jan 4, 2018)

Sunset Spring Farm said:


> I had one person who had never heard of showing a Dairy Wether! They asked me if he was a Boer. I told him that he was a Nubian/Saanen Mix and he then said that you cannot show dairy goats! He kept arguing with me and insisting that I cannot show Dairy Goats, even though that they had their own area of the fair barn! He then went on to win Reserve Champion Dairy Wether when we showed!


I heard of this before. I think it is great you can show dairy goat wethers at your fair!
I guess the confusion is because ADGA sactioned shows doesn't allow it and many who show are showing under ADGA or MDGA. Fairs however are different.
Good for you! Pretty boy  Congratulations on your win!

We have Lamanchas, yep, amazing how people will argue endlessly.


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## Gabby (Jan 6, 2018)

My father in law is the worst at this! "Goats eat everything, boy I te ll you I seen some goats eat tin cans, bottles, cars! They eat everything they see!" But I know that one's been said! Another thing is "how do you keep them from stabbing you?" Yes, my husband's ENTIRE family asks that every. single. time. No matter how many times I tell them that our goats don't ram or head butt us and definitely don't "stab" us, they ask it every single time without fail. I just imagine the goats running around with knives stabbing everyone like a horror movie  

My father in law is also determined that goats "pee on" people. Like, not accidentally, but intentionally. "Boy my friend had a goat and that goat'd cock his leg right on up and pee on 'im!" No. No no no that's not how goats work. And how many times have we all gotten the line "why do goats have such freaky/scary/weird/demonic eyes?" and "what's wrong with that goat's eyes!?" "why are they like that?" UGH
Finally, I have a rather large billy that people tend to find scary?  I mean, he's big and dark colored and has long horns, but everyone's always going "that's a scary goat!" or "that goat's the devil!" I have learned to just keep people away from my goats in general.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 6, 2018)

Comments along the line of.....I'm buying them for 50% of asking price is a challenge to my patience but, otherwise, no biggie.  I can say no and live nicely with that, especially when I know their purpose is grab & run to next auction.


Oddly, I've never had an "annoying" question or comment about the goats....some funny, some sad, some odd.   Maybe my years with the mini horses, donkeys & their shows got me into enough of a teaching mode that I consider most questions & comments a way to educate those who have a lack of fundamentals about animals.  When buyers came the first things I asked were if they had other animals and what expectations/uses they had for an animal they wanted to buy.

I consider "do you milk, do you raise for meat", etc., to be that they AT LEAST know goats are used for those purposes. So, unless the person becomes unglued, I find they are receptive to a kindly presented "educational session"    City folk sometimes have had no exposure and can only assume the tall tails of some old timers were truth, and not the ornery lies they  often were. 

I LOVE some of the children's comments & questions ---


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