The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: mojocafa on May 22, 2013, 12:15:16 pm
-
Does anyone have horned and disbudded goats together?
If so how do they get on?
-
I used to have one horned and one naturally horn-less goat together. The one with horns definitely was the top goat; but then, one of them had to be... Yes, the one without did occasionally get buffed a bit, but nothing serious. I'm sure the fighting would have been worse had they both been horned.
-
Yes I have both. I have an AN x year old with about 6" horns , 5 adults mostly badly disbudded so some stumps and my kids I have left horned. I suppose it depends on breed and direction of growth but I have watched and they all gently head butt and push each other and the horns are not an issue.
I suppose the ideal is to keep each to its own but it wouldn't stop me mixing unless horn direction made it possible to cause a penetrative wound. They are very gentle with me and each other. It they are Boer x, pygmies or other breeds might be different.
-
...my horned AN get biffed more than others but jumps like a gazelle so just jumps from pen to pen until someone accepts her.
-
Our AN intact male, and pygmy intact have runs alongside each other.The pygmy has enormous horns, but the AN towers over him. The AN jumps the stock netting fence with ease, and has a run round with the other billy. Yes, the horned one does run at him,but when the big one has had enough, he sails back over the fence.
Also have pygmys alongside the bigger de horned goats, but once established as a herd, they do tend to get on. To be honest, its the worry of them getting horns stuck in the fence, rails, etc. thats more of a worry to me than the horned and hornless clashing.
-
Horns and rails - not a problem, they can sort that out.
Horns and fences: More of an issue if they're in a restricted area.
In a less restricted area, you can tape dowel across the horns, to make them wider than a hole in the stock-fencing. This is good for new goats or kids who have just got to the 'my horns are small enough to get through the fence but too big to get back' stage. The fascination for sticking your head through the fence does seem to wear off.
If goats are fenced in a restricted area and may keep sticking their horned heads through, once grown, an electrified strand of wire, inside the fence, teaches them to stay away but doesn't entangle them. Never electrify the actual stock fence, that could be horribly disastrous.
-
I do too. I have 2 paddocks with goats in. In one is Savannah (horned) and Reggie (disbudded) they grew up together from 6 weeks old and I bought them as best friends. In the other is 2 disbudded goats, occasionally they mix but when I'm out there :)
-
Thanks for replys everyone. Should have mentioned they are pygmys and am thinking of getting an entire billy which has been disbudded, but all 14 of my pygmys have horns. The entire billie is about 10weeks at the moment . I am worried that until he matures he may be a disadvantage being disbudded. What's your thoughts
-
yep, saanen with horns & anglo x without, she learnt very quickly to get out of the way but that doesn''t stop them having the occasional head butting session