Southern by choice
Herd Master
Some of you may be familiar with the thread ...
http://www.backyardherds.com/thread...d-and-other-such-questions.27769/#post-351216
Well the decision was finally made and Millie has sealed the deal. The appointment was made today. We love our horned goats as much as our polled and disbudded goats but Millie has really posed a problem with hers.
Millie is a very sweet goat BUT she is not nice to the other goats and the LGD's. Some goats are her buddies and she is super gentle but other goats well... she is a real bully. She KNOWS how to use her horns and the other goats are getting more and more afraid of her. They see her coming and they run out of the loafing shed or away from the hay feeder if they see her coming. The LGD's are always watchful as she will just hit them with no reason. She does this if something is simply standing there and she doesn't want them standing there... chicken, geese, goats, kids(goat), dogs, pups.
This weekend we were milling about with the girls and we noticed Millie's horns. She has been sharpening them on the side of the cinder block wall.
I know this sounds strange but I believe she is doing this on purpose and she is very calculating. Her temperament with people and with goats she likes is wonderful. The stock she came from... all big babies! Millie ended up not getting disbudded by the breeder because he had surgery right as she was kidded... only goats he'd not disbudded. We didn't care because we like horns.
Here are some pics of her sharpened spears... and the angle I was trying to get I was not able as she wasn't liking her head being restrained. They are like daggers. At this point she could kill another goat and I have kids hitting the ground in April and if she get one of the LGD's well then she would have to die, she is not worth losing great stock and great dogs. It is risky for us humans too because all it could take is a quick jerk of the head. I am sad about this but I know I am doing the right thing. She will be brought down a peg or two I know and she needs to be. For her it is all about her horns.
I will be assisting in the surgery and as strange as it sounds I feel like it will help me also to process the affects. It's something I have always done... if surgery is needed or any procedure I do best assisting- it's a mental thing. I am hoping to journal the process. I won't be able to get pics during the procedure obviously, but hope to show the open wound and the healing process.
You can see how she has filed them...
Not a great pic but you can see how she is making them as pointy as can be
The left side is a dagger
You can kinda see it here- notice only her daughter is eating hay with her- no one will go near her. HEr daughter is a sweetie pie- she was the first goat we had BORN on our farm that we had di-budded. I am sooooooo glad we did.
http://www.backyardherds.com/thread...d-and-other-such-questions.27769/#post-351216
Well the decision was finally made and Millie has sealed the deal. The appointment was made today. We love our horned goats as much as our polled and disbudded goats but Millie has really posed a problem with hers.
Millie is a very sweet goat BUT she is not nice to the other goats and the LGD's. Some goats are her buddies and she is super gentle but other goats well... she is a real bully. She KNOWS how to use her horns and the other goats are getting more and more afraid of her. They see her coming and they run out of the loafing shed or away from the hay feeder if they see her coming. The LGD's are always watchful as she will just hit them with no reason. She does this if something is simply standing there and she doesn't want them standing there... chicken, geese, goats, kids(goat), dogs, pups.
This weekend we were milling about with the girls and we noticed Millie's horns. She has been sharpening them on the side of the cinder block wall.
I know this sounds strange but I believe she is doing this on purpose and she is very calculating. Her temperament with people and with goats she likes is wonderful. The stock she came from... all big babies! Millie ended up not getting disbudded by the breeder because he had surgery right as she was kidded... only goats he'd not disbudded. We didn't care because we like horns.Here are some pics of her sharpened spears... and the angle I was trying to get I was not able as she wasn't liking her head being restrained. They are like daggers. At this point she could kill another goat and I have kids hitting the ground in April and if she get one of the LGD's well then she would have to die, she is not worth losing great stock and great dogs. It is risky for us humans too because all it could take is a quick jerk of the head. I am sad about this but I know I am doing the right thing. She will be brought down a peg or two I know and she needs to be. For her it is all about her horns.
I will be assisting in the surgery and as strange as it sounds I feel like it will help me also to process the affects. It's something I have always done... if surgery is needed or any procedure I do best assisting- it's a mental thing. I am hoping to journal the process. I won't be able to get pics during the procedure obviously, but hope to show the open wound and the healing process.
You can see how she has filed them...
Not a great pic but you can see how she is making them as pointy as can be
The left side is a dagger
You can kinda see it here- notice only her daughter is eating hay with her- no one will go near her. HEr daughter is a sweetie pie- she was the first goat we had BORN on our farm that we had di-budded. I am sooooooo glad we did.
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She is a real sweetheart with us, but, my, when she's with my kids, it was grrr. I banded her twice last year, but they keep coming back (they are very dull/flat, so I don't think they can hurt anything). She is still being a little stinker with my wether. I see fur on her horns almost every day. I'm about ready to tell her goodbye. :/
. I'll be following this thread for sure. 
Trying to get this done while still cold and no fly strike issues.
