# Two New Goats..One is mean! Help!



## Kperki (Dec 14, 2013)

Hi,
We just bought a new place and the previous owner asked if we could take his two goats. They are Nigerian Pygmies and are both females about 3 years old with horns. I had goats when I was a kid and ours were nice. So I am not sure how to handle this. Luci Is ramming her sister Petunia. IfPetunia sees it coming she meets her head on and they butt heads. A lot of times she is hooking her belly and lifting her.  Also when I put them in the pen at night Luci really rams her. I was told to take two fingers and smack her eat but it doesn't phase her. Petunia is nervous in there and tries to hide behind me. Luci has also chased our dogs. They avoid her but Petunia can not. I have a very large metal dog crate that I was wondering if I should put that in the pen and put the little devil in that at night. We want to eventually get miniature horses and other animals so I want to try and get this behavior fixed so she can't bully them. The previous owner said the other people he gave them to had Alpacas and they were worried she would hurt a new baby so they didn't want her...of course I learned this after we got them! They are both great with us..any help would be greatly appreciated! We are just starting our little farm and want everyone happy! Thanks
Luci is the mostly black one. Sorry it turned the photos sideways!


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## Southern by choice (Dec 14, 2013)

Freezer Camp.


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## Kperki (Dec 14, 2013)

Lol! I just had to look up what is freezer camp!


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## Azriel (Dec 14, 2013)

Yummy goat


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## Southern by choice (Dec 15, 2013)

It may sound a bit harsh but the reality is this goat is eventually going to gore something. Although it may be nice to you, you could end  up in the way. You could have the surgery done to remove the horns completely. Not worth the trouble though IMO.
We have horned, polled, and disbudded goats. Every once in a while you will get an ornery goat that may use their horns as "weapons"... they aren't worth risking the rest of the herd or a Livestock Guardian or any human.
Doe meat is delicious.


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## peachick (Dec 15, 2013)

She is the alpha queen.  There are a few things  you can do  to change they dynamics of  the herd...  before killing  her.  Id  try  getting  one or two more goats...  Separate  her  off  by herself for a while.  Let  the others rearrange  the hierarchy...  then  add  miss  grumpy back into the herd and let her  fend for herself under a different dictatorship.

 I watched  my alpha queen  get de-throned  last  year....  they were fighting constantly.  Now,  the  older girl who lost her position  is  very  submissive to  the  new alpha bitch   ....


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## jodief100 (Dec 15, 2013)

Freezer camp is a good option but you will need to either send both, rehome or get a new companion for the one left.  Goats don't do well solo.  

Peachick has a good idea, it may work but it may not.


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## Banriona (Dec 15, 2013)

Get a nice new doe or two - or that miniature horse and send meanie to freezer camp.


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## ksalvagno (Dec 15, 2013)

You could also band the horns.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 15, 2013)

ksalvagno said:


> You could also band the horns.



Have you ever tried this? I don't know of anyone personally that has done this. 
Will they grow back like scurs? How painful is it? 
I know others that have surgically removed horns and that was UGH!


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## ksalvagno (Dec 15, 2013)

Yes, I banded an adult female. She was in some pain when I first put the bands on and then every time I put new bands on. I gave her a shot of Banamine on the days I changed bands. I saw no regrowth but I since sold her so I don't know if there has been growth since I sold her. But for me it was worth doing. She was using the horns against the other goats and I just wasn't mindful enough of her horns and got it once in a while. She almost poked my eye out one time. She wasn't being mean, just turned her head. So horns just don't work for me. I don't plan to buy any more horned goats but never say never so I would band again if I ever needed to. Can't say there was no pain involved but I felt it was a much better option than surgical dehorning.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 15, 2013)

Thanks! Yeah, I have one that I am afraid is going to cause an injury one day. She is a big goat and it wouldn't be on purpose but man you really have to watch it!


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## ksalvagno (Dec 17, 2013)

This is the method I followed to band. I did have to remove the old bands to put the new ones on since her horns were thick.

http://goat-info.com/removing horns adult.htm


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## HeatherL (Dec 29, 2013)

We just banded out 7 month old Pygmy/Oberhassli doe.  We shaved the hair around the horns and double banded all the way down at the skin line.  Then we covered with electrical tape.  

She's a friendly doe, but she picks up our Nigerian Dwarf Wethers and flings them.  We also have kids and I wouldn't want one of them getting hurt-even accidentally.  Was told it takes around 5 weeks and not to remove the horn, even if it's hanging.

We gave her pain meds before we started and gave her breaks if she started getting too upset.  She has since decided to just chill out by herself for now.  Probably has a really bad headache.


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## taylorm17 (Jan 10, 2014)

I agree with peachick!!! Get some new goats and separate her to let the heard become a different type of alpha and a new pecking order. Freezer camp is also a good idea, because reality is, animals can and will kill each other if they really want to , and with this girls horns, she can easily kill the other if she gets her in the right spot. she can also always get a human and that would not be worth the pain or money! Also NEVER get a goat with horns! not that all goats with horns are bad, but there is always one bad one and they take advantage of horns. A goat ramming you without hornsh hurts too, but not as bad and not as fatal to the other goats. Put this girl down would be my suggestion and rehome the other or adopt a new one without horns!!!


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## Southern by choice (Jan 10, 2014)

If we started dehorning our Kikos we'd never sell any breeding stock. Meat goats are rarely dehorned.


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## HeatherL (Jan 14, 2014)

Our pygmy x doe has had her bands on for 2 weeks now.  We taped them really well with electrical tape so she couldn't rub the bands off.  I don't see any changes yet...except...she's gotten better about using them.  She doesn't do a full on head ram anymore.


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