Fighting goats?

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Tod Dague

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I was told by some one not to dehorn the does that were to be retained as nannys. He said that that was their only means of protection. I have never seen a goat stand and fight anything other than another goat.

Has anyone ever seen or heard of a goat turning to fight off a predator.
 
There natural reflex is to run, but if they have to they will fight. Polled does, or dehorned does are a feersome sight. A neighbor had a lab and some other big dog get into our cow pen back in the goat dairy days. He saw one doe beating the crap out of one of the dogs and the other when curled up in a ball in a corner. When we got the goats up so he could get his dogs, the one that had been beating wacked on had a couple of cracked ribs, the other was so broken up that he had to shoot it.
It's based on the same theory and misconception that a cow needs horns to protect itself, it's pure hogwash!

dun
 
don't know about strange dogs and haven't raised goats since i was a kid. but was friends with a guy who did and his dog gave them wide berth. one of those nannys would stomp and shake her head that dog was gone.
 
Tod Dague":1aon1cnk said:
Has anyone ever seen or heard of a goat turning to fight off a predator.

I don't know the first thing about goats, but almost any animal will fight if it has to.
 
Thanks. I was wanting to dehorn my does, even though they make great handles, just so I don't have to worry about them getting hung up in the fence.

My goats seem to run from everything but the cows.
 
i dunno Tod maybe they didn't run from this dog cause they had it buffaloed?
 
With Horned goats you will get the same comments from city folks that say only the boy goats have horns! That always cracks me up! :lol:

Horns can be used as weapons, but usually they run, as was already mentioned.

They can get stuck in fences but usually they can figure out how to get themselves unstuck.

Horns are usefull handles to move the goat.

They use their horns as tools, to scratch their back. I have seen them use them to hook a branch on a tree and pull the branch down.
 
neighbor had goats..one used her horn to scratch her back leg,got horn caught around leg and chocked to death!!It happened during the night...
 

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