# Do you put collars on your goats? Why or why not?



## DaGoatandPugLady (Nov 19, 2018)

The obvious con is strangulation. Why do people use collars, would like to hear the pro. My husband wants to put them on our goats but I don’t think it’s necessary and might hurt them. Thanks!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

I keep collars on my goats and sheep to tether them. We have a leash law for all animals unless fenced, and I take mine out to forage. I cannot control 12 goats and sheep at once, so I tether them.
I also tether to feed individually, so no bullying.


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## CCCSAW (Jul 11, 2019)

Mine have nylon collars to help with training show goats, controlling and moving, too be able to tether when needed, because 1 is really stubborn still, and to id them.


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## DaGoatandPugLady (Nov 19, 2018)

Dwarf Dad said:


> I keep collars on my goats and sheep to tether them. We have a leash law for all animals unless fenced, and I take mine out to forage. I cannot control 12 goats and sheep at once, so I tether them.
> I also tether to feed individually, so no bullying.


Hi Dwarf Dad,
Thank you! What kind of collar do you use on them? Do you tether them to a fence when you take them out to forage?

That's smart about the individual feeds to prevent bullying!


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

DaGoatandPugLady said:


> Hi Dwarf Dad,
> Thank you! What kind of collar do you use on them? Do you tether them to a fence when you take them out to forage?
> 
> That's smart about the individual feeds to prevent bullying!


I have regular dog collars on them, nylon. Some of the collars are the plastic latch type and some are buckle type.
I drive t-posts into the ground, or https://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/eh-i-thought-you-said-boat-anchor.207929/#post-2291183


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

I keep a dog collar on my milkers to catch them to take to the milk room. they are break away collars so if they do get caught they will break off


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## ReNat (Jan 20, 2019)

I use a collars, for goats, it is convenient for me to control a single goat during milking, and even for the bell, as my goats graze freely and I hear when they choose the wrong direction following in the direction of my neighbor's site.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

All my goats have collars with name tags. (Cow ear tags zip ties to the collars). Tags state name, kidding date, dam and birthdate. (By the time the next year rolls around, the tags are a little worn, so, when they kid, new tags.). 

I have a small fortune tied up in collars! (150+) There have been a time or 2 someone got a collar caught, but nothing happened. My goats do not get to be outside in a pasture, so, for me, collars are pretty safe.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I HAD collars on my goats for 10 years. What I used was a strip of leather then attached the two ends with a ear tag. It was flimsy enough that if one did get snagged the goats weight would break it. What I never imagined could (and did happen) was getting snagged on a little dead limb on the ground and my doe calmly going around and around until it slowly got tighter and killed her. Even though that was pretty much a freak accident I took all my collars off. 
The collars were nice having to just reach out and grab a collar instead of them seeing a rope and bolting, and the ear tags were nice for when someone would tell me #32 did blah blah blah and I knew Xena is 32. Now I get that red goat, which I have 5 of, or that black goat which I have probably close to 10 of. But we are all surviving just fine without them now.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

I don’t put collars on mine because I have only 2, that think they are lap dogs. A close breeder friend of mine likes the plastic chain link breakaway collars, and keeps them on the goats once they are big enough that she thinks they will be able to be strong enough to break them if need be.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

We don't, but if we did I've always thought these were cool: https://www.caprinesupply.com/products/goat-management/plastic-chain-collars.html


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

I have a collar no Russ, put them on the kids when I am training them, Letty (my milk girl) has a halter, (keeps her head more still as I milk her, I dont use a head lock, just a tether on the stand) Diesel's neck is bigger than all my collars so he wheres a halter two...Diesel is the only one I dont leave it on all the time


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I guess it's like everything with goats, what works for one wouldn't for another. Unfortunately, I have to keep mine collared for identification purposes, but if they were pastured, I'd have to come up with a safer way. (Sometimes I wish I could freeze brand them like they do with cattle.)


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Goats Rock said:


> I guess it's like everything with goats, what works for one wouldn't for another. Unfortunately, I have to keep mine collared for identification purposes, but if they were pastured, I'd have to come up with a safer way. (Sometimes I wish I could freeze brand them like they do with cattle.)


I wouldn't bash anyone if they chose to have collars on no matter the reason. That was not at all what I was getting at with sharing that  
My mom and I were actually just talking about freeze branding! And I honestly don't see why it couldn't be done. They also freeze brand horses and their skin isn't any thicker then a goats, I've never actually skinned a horse or anything but it sure seems like it is actually thinner. But I'm thinking that no one has actually done it not that there is any reason not to do it. I just don't think it would work out on my traditional boers. But I just thought that was funny you brought that up after we literally just got done talking about it lol


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## Iggy (Feb 9, 2019)

Personally I only use collars on them to transport my goats. For the first few weeks of milking I lead my girls to the milking stand, but after that I just let them out one at a time, they'll run all the way up the hill and jump onto the stand and start eating their grain.


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## steeplechaser (Sep 21, 2013)

I have a collar (just rope) with a bell on one of them. Helps me find them in the brush.


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## jodane (Apr 18, 2017)

We use collars on all our goats, it's just so much easier to catch them with a collar. We also leash train them so if we need to take them somewhere it's just so much easier than having to grab by the horns and drag them. So far we've luckily never experienced any issues with them getting snagged somewhere by the collar and I pray we never have that happen. We have more problems with them losing their collars. We buy the goat collars from Jeffers. They're cheap and work well. pink for the girls & blue for the boys. Makes it easy to tell them apart. https://www.jefferspet.com/products/kid-goat-collar-colors-pink-fushion


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

No collars here. We used to but a few accidents had me removing them. Once had a doeling get her leg caught in moms collar...other time one of my horned goats got her horn stuck on another collar ( most likely from rubbing on her) and in a panic twisted so tight she almost killed the doe. Both times I was in the barn. Scares me to think if I wasn't. My goats are all trained to be led with one hand under the chin. In a pinch I have a collar I can put on to lead one. Even my Big Bucks lead gentle with just a lead rope


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I have collars on mine. I use the plastic latch type and hope it will pop loose if it has to. My Nellie lost hers recently so maybe they do? I use them in case one gets out. There are quite a few goats in my area and I want my babies returned to the right home. It also helps a lot if one is being uncooperative about medication, etc.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I have Lamacha goats and keeping collars on them is next to impossible. so i use my Border Collies to move them.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

My border collie went on strike. She absolutely refuses to do anything with the goats. (As far as I know, she has not been bashed). She loves sheep, chickens, cats, human kids. Goats, nope! She refuses to even look at them! But, she will watch tv on DH's lap, all day. 

Yes, my Lamanchas lose collars more frequently than the eared goats!


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## bisonviewfarm (Apr 2, 2015)

I only use collars on new goats. To worried they’ll catch it on sage brush or get hooked by another goats horn. Mine all come running any time they see us and happily run to the milk stand when we open the gate so I just dont have much of a reason to use them full time.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I do not recommend using collars unless the goat is watched.


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## smlovig (Apr 19, 2017)

21goaties said:


> We don't, but if we did I've always thought these were cool: https://www.caprinesupply.com/products/goat-management/plastic-chain-collars.html


I tried those plastic chain collars - they are great for a visual identifier, but are useless if you are clipping goats to a lead for individual feedings. They do break very easily, and are unsuitable for leading goats, either.

We leave horns on our goats when they are born, and teach them to accept being guided by a hand on the horn (something that tends to make them stubborn until they accept our leadership). If, as adults, they begin to endanger themselves or others with the horns, we sequester them and band the horns off (castration bands - takes about 6 weeks to slowly cut off the blood flow to the horns, and then the horns fall off). If not sequestered, they may play or fight with others and knock off a horn prematurely- which requires a bit of Bloodstop powder...

The goats without horns get large, loose dog collars. I have to have something to grab hold of, because even our tamest goat occasionally needs the master's guidance. Something bad can always happen - so decide what will keep your goats the safest, and do what you are comfortable.


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## Noahsoak (Sep 16, 2013)

spidy1 said:


> I have a collar no Russ, put them on the kids when I am training them, Letty (my milk girl) has a halter, (keeps her head more still as I milk her, I dont use a head lock, just a tether on the stand) Diesel's neck is bigger than all my collars so he wheres a halter two...Diesel is the only one I dont leave it on all the time


Wow that big boy is fine.


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## Noahsoak (Sep 16, 2013)

I do use dog collars on mine. If I need to grab an unwilling participant, i found the plastic links weren't strong enough to stay on the goats neck. If you're concerned about safety, get the plastic link ones, if they get caught that link to close will break apart or twist off. I think they look cool.


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## HMNS (Jul 15, 2019)

I only use a collar when I am moving our girls from the barn to their outside pen or in situations that I need to have a bit more control. They will usually follow me but, my Sue-girl thinks it's very funny to run around the outside of the pen (with me chasing after her) instead of going in.


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

I have dog collars and goat halters. I was new to goats last year and kept seeing pictures of goats with thin collars, figured that was the thing. I also tried those weird nylon rope leads, but I don't think I was doing it right and it kept tightening on them and I stopped using it.

For my girls, they mostly get the halters on when we go for our daily walk outside the pasture. When it was really hot the last couple weeks, I used the dog collars - figured if I don't want a lot on me, they'd feel the same way. They behave very well, except if there's any chicken food on the ground, so pulling is not a big issue. Local Agway had the goat halters 50% off, too, which was great. I kept going back to that discount bucket to get bigger sizes as they grew!

Just picked up some wider dog collars today. The other ones were bought when they were just 4 months old, now they are bigger and I think those ones, when I did need to get them turned around, dug in too much.


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## HMNS (Jul 15, 2019)

Hi friesian49...
I just saw your pic with the halters. Do they sell halters for small breeds too..? We have Nigerian Dwarfs and I have wanted halters for them but, haven't been able to find any that are small enough so, have made due with the collars.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

HMNS said:


> Hi friesian49...
> I just saw your pic with the halters. Do they sell halters for small breeds too..? We have Nigerian Dwarfs and I have wanted halters for them but, haven't been able to find any that are small enough so, have made due with the collars.


Baby alpaca halters.


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## HMNS (Jul 15, 2019)

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> Baby alpaca halters.


Ha...I never would've thought of that! Thanks!!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

We use collars. But my goats are dry-lotted, not out in a pasture. The only time they are out of their enclosure is when we are with them. I LOVE having collars because I can't always trust them to be obedient. We work hard to train all our goats, but once hormones start going amuck, all bets are off.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

I'm a collar person too. I use the dollar tree dog collars because they break apart easily if the brats are goofing around or being buttheads. The collars are great for grabbing or leading but because they break apart they're pretty safe. On a side note, our goats are where they can be seen easily from the kitchen and den so we are always checking on them.


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

Collars. The chains broke too easily. I have had more problems with goats' horns getting hung up than with collars hanging up. They are super cheapo collars and 2 of my does are very adept at losing theirs. I use halters for any serious holding/leading.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have always kept collars on my goats. Have always been dog collars. Once they are yearlings, they get a collar. Right now I use my friends old, laundered sled dog collars. They give their dogs new ones every year, I get a bunch of the old ones. They are heavy nylon martingale type. Never had any problems. My milkers are hooked to a picket line while waiting to be milked, so they need collars.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I use collars on does when they're in milk and on rutting bucks. Both for easier handling. I have had some incidents with specific goats getting caught in the woods, but luckily they know to stay still and I'll find them within a few hours.


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## PeggyAndPatty (Nov 29, 2017)

All my goats have horns so I personally don't leave collars on, just in case someone gets their horn wrapped in someone else's collar


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

We have collars on all ours. It's hard to catch them when they don't want to go somewhere. Or if they see the lead and know they have to go do something and run. They are generally well mannered but if they see something they want and go the opposite direction of where you want, it's easy to grab the collar and lead them.


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