[mariegold]

Hello, does anyone have any advice on how to deal with an aggressive goat please?
She's four years old, a boer cross, pretty massive and horned.
She's always been a bit aggressive when trying to trim her hooves etc.. but today, for the first time, she charged at me in the field with her horns aimed at me!
Her behavior has been escalating for a while and I need to find a solution!
We have one other goat, she's so lovely and gentle and she's getting quite bashed about now too.
I also have a young child and we want her to be able to interact with the animals (in a respectful way) What would you do?

[Buttermilk]

Freezer and get a horness goat as a pet.

[mariegold]

Yes, I did think that as I threw myself over the fence this morning!
Our other goat is horned but has never even threatened to use them.
I think a companion goat would need to horned too?
Is 4 years a bit old for meat? Are there any rules on this?
It's such a shame as she is a maiden milker 😭

[mariegold]

She's had really bad feet issues this year, so I've had to do a lot of catching her and treating her. She's probably a bit fed up of me.
But she's always been unpredictable and aggressive to be honest.
I think I probably need to make the difficult decision and take her to the abatoir. I wouldn't want her back for the freezer, too sad. I wish I had tried to control her more when she was younger. Her mum was a really lovely goat ☹️

[Anke]

I would get a couple of younger goat kids or goatlings as companions for your remaining goat, that way she can establish herself as herd queen. What size/breed is she?

[Anke]

  In my view it's a fashion that the BGS promotes disbudding horned milkers

There is nothing "fashion" about disbudding - at nearly 50quid a go most goatkeepers will not disbud willy-nilly. However if you have to handle dairy goats (of nearly 100kg body weight for AN's and BT's) twice a day for milking it is just an ongoing safety risk. If you are planning to show your goats at shows where the general public is really close to them (and small children as well) then I think it is almost negligent to take horned goats.

[mariegold]

She's a saanen type, so medium size. She's 9 years old now, with a heart murmur, but still perfect....to me.
I think a couple of goatlings could be the way to go.
Thank you for all the advice, it's very much appreciated

[Anke]

She's a saanen type, so medium size. She's 9 years old now, with a heart murmur, but still perfect....to me.
I think a couple of goatlings could be the way to go.
Thank you for all the advice, it's very much appreciated

Definitely two given her age.

[Buttermilk]

I worked at a commercial dairy herd and all goats were disbudded.  You could not have a horned goat goring its herd mates when you have 4,000 milking goats.  The vet came two mornings a week all year round to disbud and see any other problems that we came up with.

Nothing to do with the BGS everything to do with safety.

[mariegold]

Thanks all for the previous advice. I've been trying to find better ways of managing our aggressive goat but to no avail. I think the dreaded time has come.
Please could someone kindly explain my options?
If I was to take her to the abattoir, can she go alone (as a single animal). Would she be edible at 5 years old (I wouldn't want to, but someone might appreciate the offer for their freezer).
If I had her PTS  would this be a vet job or the local fallen stock provider?
Thanks so much in advance.

[landroverroy]

The knacker man will come and shoot her at no extra cost, and take the body away. Might cost no more than taking her to the abattoir and giving the meat away, and certainly a lot less stress for the goat. 
Our knacker man is lovely and very gentle and efficient.

[mariegold]

Thank you. I will speak to ours and see what he says.

[Anke]

I find it difficult to get the knackerman to shoot my goats. I always take the goat to the vet who will euthanise them in the van, then I bring the carcass to the knacker yard myself as it is on the way home anyway.


I have to concentrate very hard to just "get the job done" for this, but male goats in particular have a very hard scull, and it needs an experienced knackerman to shoot them quickly, they are also very heavy... I prefer the vets, as mine is very understanding and I am able to hold the goat (most of the time, or my husband takes the goat for me). Itz gets easier with time.


If it is an emergency we use the bolt gun on the farm.

[cuckoo]

I would send to the abbatoir and eat her - mutton. Should be nice cooked long and slow.

[Lesley Silvester]

I had an aggressive goat. I had bottle fed her since getting her at 5 weeks old and she was handled every day and used to love her cuddles. Unfortunately, not only did she try to become herd leader she also wanted to be family leader as well. She would come up to the fence to be petted by visitors and was fine while given treats but then butt them if they attempted to put the hands through the bars on the gate and anyone who went into them had to be quick witted to avoid being butted. She terrified my young grandson when he came to help but carrying the water bucket and she went up on her hind legs and loomed over him. The she started on my OH who is blind. She clearly recognised this so would sneak behind him so he wasn't expecting the head in the bum attack. I threatened to eat her many times but eventually, when OH said he didn't want to go into the yard any more, she went off to the abattoir. She was about four years old and I enjoyed eating her.