Help introducing goats

[Rhondax6]

We have a four month old wethered pygmy mix and just got a wethered nigerian dwarf recently weaned. Our pygmy has horns, the nigerian does not. Our pygmy is not a very gracious host and is jabbing the little one in an aggressive way, almost all the time. Any tips on improving the situation? They are in seperate areas for now but would make life much easier if they were in the same enclosure.


Thank you for any help anyone can offer!

Rhonda

 

[lilhill]

If they were here, I'd have the horns removed, either by Vet or banding them myself. Having a horned goat in a tussle with a disbudded one is like getting into a fight with one having a baseball bat and the other defending himself with a straw. Not a good thing IMO.

 

[Chaty]

Yep its time to get rid of those horns as they are dangerous and can really hurt the new little guy.

 

[Rhondax6]

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to call the vet on Monday but for now he'll have balls on his horns. Can you tell me what the surgery to remove the horns might be like? And it's not too late to remove his horns it is? They're about 3 inches long.

Rhonda

 

[Chaty]

I personally would band them and it takes a few weeks for them to come off. Most vets will want to knock the goat out and thats not good. If they are that long I would use the elasticator banding gun and band them myself. Lots cheaper and it works really well. Some think its cruel but in the long run its really not.
No hes not to old as they do adults alot but I dont really like to do it to older goats and banding to me works better.

 

[lilhill]

I would also try the banding first. Much safer than having the Vet remove them as the Vet can't guarantee the anesthesia won't kill your wether. Goats sometimes don't do well when put to sleep.

 

[cmjust0]

We introduced a disbudded Nubian buckling into a pen with two older boer-cross bucklings with small horns.. The batted him around for a little while, but he shares a pen with one of them to this day. The horned one has a set that's probably approaching 6" long at this point, and he's bigger than the nubian..

The nubian seems to like the other one's horns, actually...good for scratching those hard to reach places on top of his head and the back of his neck. It's really quite funny to watch him walk over to the other buck and start scratching his head furiously on the other one's horns..

Needless to say, they get along famously these days.

Personally...with them both being that young...I say spare the horned goat the misery of removing the horns and let'em sort it out.

That's just MHO.

 

[lilhill]

When they get older and the one with horns realizes he has the advantage is when the problems arise. Ask me how I know.

 

[cmjust0]

Ok...I'll bite.

How do you know?

 

[Rhondax6]

I'd also like to know. He has the balls glued on now, will those help when he realises he has sharp stabby things on his head?