# Goat eatting other goats hair and the horses tails...



## ThreeBoysChicks (Apr 10, 2011)

I have noticed that someone has trimmed my horses tails and taking bites of winter hair out of my other goats.  I have been watching and determined that it is Nina, my Unregistered Nubian doe, born July of 2010.    She is very tame and gets along great with the horses.  She has moved onto my percheron's mane.  I don't like that.  When my percheron lays down, Nina lays beside her and nibbles on the horses mane.

They have hay, the grass is coming in great in the field.  She still gets goat feed once a day.  All the goats get mineral supplements.  So what is it?  Why is she doing this?  Is she bored?  Is she missing something in her diet?

Thanks for any suggestion you have.


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## Goatherd (Apr 10, 2011)

> my Unregistered Nubian doe


She's living with the shame of not being registered and is acting out.  Peer pressure is not kind.


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Apr 10, 2011)

Goatherd said:
			
		

> > my Unregistered Nubian doe
> 
> 
> She's living with the shame of not being registered and is acting out.  Peer pressure is not kind.


Well her parents were not registered, so I can not register.  I have not told her that piece of information.  She thinks she is a star.  And she is.  Everyone loves her because she follows us around like a puppy dog.  Her and her Nigerian buddy Yogi.


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## helmstead (Apr 10, 2011)

My doe Java Latte will do this too...the chewing on other goat's with HER is a dominance thing, she takes great big chunks of hair off of them!  Once I thought I had a buck with a REAL deficiency issue, he had huge bald spots...then I caught Java in the act.  They'd be laying together, calm and quiet, and she'd just get this rude look on her face, reach over and yank his hair out.  

Chewing on the manes and tails sounds more like a bad habit.  Just like they'll chew on our hair if they get the chance.

I doubt it's a deficiency of any kind, just a less than desirable habit.  You can try braiding up the mane and tail of the horse, anyway...


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Apr 10, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> My doe Java Latte will do this too...the chewing on other goat's with HER is a dominance thing, she takes great big chunks of hair off of them!  Once I thought I had a buck with a REAL deficiency issue, he had huge bald spots...then I caught Java in the act.  They'd be laying together, calm and quiet, and she'd just get this rude look on her face, reach over and yank his hair out.
> 
> Chewing on the manes and tails sounds more like a bad habit.  Just like they'll chew on our hair if they get the chance.
> 
> I doubt it's a deficiency of any kind, just a less than desirable habit.  You can try braiding up the mane and tail of the horse, anyway...


Thanks for the reply!!!  I feel better.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Apr 10, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> They'd be laying together, calm and quiet, and she'd just get this rude look on her face, reach over and yank his hair out.
> ..


 
I know EXACTLY that look!!!

You never know Kate, maybe her boyfriend let loose a nasty SBD and she was telling him off for it.


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## helmstead (Apr 10, 2011)




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## PattySh (Apr 10, 2011)

It's just a bad habit but can cause blockages if she injests enough. I put a young steer  calf out with my horses once and the next morning we had tails missing!


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## julieq (Apr 10, 2011)

Our ND's are too little to be in with our horses and they don't chew on each others hair.  But they DO chew on our hair if we get close enough to them!


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## AlaskanShepherdess (Apr 11, 2011)

I wouldn't completely rule out deficiency. Try giving her more silica and beta caroten.


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