# Doe Head Butting Woes



## Arralana (Jan 14, 2015)

I have two sister does that are about a year old. I've had them both since March of last year. I acquired a new goat this past October that I believe to be about a year old, or perhaps two. The owner wasn't sure as he didn't really spend time with his herd and didn't pay much attention to any of the goats.

The new goat is pregnant and since around late November, she has been chasing my youngest sister around and head butting her. She keeps her away from the daily sweet feed, and most other treats, and the hay sometimes. I've been feeding aggressive goat away from the other two so that the youngest can get her food but as soon as aggressive goat is back with the other two, she chases the younger around and head butts her. Aggressive goat hasn't been dehorned and I'm worried about injury to both. The youngest goat is rather lean and I've had to put a vest on her for the winter to keep her from shivering and freezing.

Is there some way that aggressive goat can be discouraged from being SO aggressive? I know there can be bossy herd queens but she takes the cake!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Can you separate her from the other two? Sometimes goats are just aggressive.

Have you run a fecal test on the two sister does? The lean one may have worms or coccidea, 
especially if she is being stressed from the older bully. If one goat has a heavy worm load, chances are, they all do.


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## goat-lover (Dec 27, 2014)

I would sperate her before she hurts or kill the Lil one my doe cookie she hates my other two does so much so hunts them down in rams them she didn't do this with my weather just the other girls so I sperate her with the wether in the other two in a different stall


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## Peggy1689 (Oct 17, 2014)

I had this head butting happening, and I had to put the smaller, younger goat girls in another pen, because they were not getting to the food. I put an igloo dog house in that pen , and the two little girls sleep in there together. Also, the big head butting girl got her horn stuck in the fence , and we had to cut the fence wire to let her out! How her horn is FLAT against her head, so now she does not head butt anymore.......


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

They are establishing the pecking order. I would for sure feed them separate and if you have to lock them up for weather or anything separate them there as well. 

I have goats that butt each other all the time and chase each other. It drives me nuts. I a also have a couple that are the Queens and they rule the barn. When it is snowing and blowing out they will lay just inside the barn door and not let the others in the barn at all. IF they manage to get in they will chase them back out. Yep can you say brats. They have all lived together for ever. They were all born here. It is even a three generations set, Penny Lane (Grandma) Monica (daughter) and Lilly (Monica's daughter). They even keep Penny Lane out.

Is the storms I have to lock them up in groups so they somewhat get along.


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## Peggy1689 (Oct 17, 2014)

Well, today the head girl with the flat horn is subdued and even stepped aside for her sister to eat! So maybe getting her head stuck in the fence has taught her a lesson about head butting!


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## Arralana (Jan 14, 2015)

sweetgoats said:


> They are establishing the pecking order. I would for sure feed them separate and if you have to lock them up for weather or anything separate them there as well.
> 
> I have goats that butt each other all the time and chase each other. It drives me nuts. I a also have a couple that are the Queens and they rule the barn. When it is snowing and blowing out they will lay just inside the barn door and not let the others in the barn at all. IF they manage to get in they will chase them back out. Yep can you say brats. They have all lived together for ever. They were all born here. It is even a three generations set, Penny Lane (Grandma) Monica (daughter) and Lilly (Monica's daughter). They even keep Penny Lane out.
> 
> Is the storms I have to lock them up in groups so they somewhat get along.


I was thinking maybe she was just a bossy, grumpy, pregnant herd queen. I only have the one stall available so I'm working out a way to separate them if needed. Last night, though, they all seemed to share the sweet feed with no butting and I had trouble pulling aggressive goat away to eat her own.


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## Peggy1689 (Oct 17, 2014)

With her flattened horns, my lead doe figured out how to lift up the gate latch with her FLAT head. (She was the one who flattened her horns butting!) She led her group into another pen where they ate the other group's food! I shooed them back to where they belonged and am now studyig that latch in order to make it more secure.


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## Arralana (Jan 14, 2015)

Peggy1689 said:


> With her flattened horns, my lead doe figured out how to lift up the gate latch with her FLAT head. (She was the one who flattened her horns butting!) She led her group into another pen where they ate the other group's food! I shooed them back to where they belonged and am now studyig that latch in order to make it more secure.


Hehe, they are quite clever aren't they? I use metal carbiners as my latches and I don't have any problems. Since I've started giving aggressive goat her sweet feed by herself, she's been less mean in general so that seems to be working. Still waiting on my microscope to test skinny goat for worms.


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## Arralana (Jan 14, 2015)

Well, surprise surprise! I came home from the store today to TWO little doelings! It was pretty cold so we wrapped them up with towels and they're still a little hunched but dry. I'm debating bringing them inside for the night as the temps are going to be in the low 20s. One seems to be standing more on the pastern of one back foot but is standing and wobbling about so I'm thinking it may straighten itself out. I'm keeping an eye on things. So excited!


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Congrats! Can't wait to see pics!


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


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## Peggy1689 (Oct 17, 2014)

Do goats usually head butt newcomers to the herd? I just introduced a new handsome billy to my girl goats, and all they could do was head butt him. He is so young and cute! So I put him in a pen alone. What does everyone know about this kind of thing?


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

Yep they'll head butt to establish a pecking order. Let them sniff each other through the fence, and in a day or two he'll be ready to join the herd.


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## Peggy1689 (Oct 17, 2014)

I think that Billy misses his old herd and mother! Sometimes he cries! He is 6 months old and was practically a pet , but my friend had to sell him in order to prevent inbreeding. I hope time will solve tis problem. Thanks for your comment.


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## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

My goats will head but for any reason from "hi, you're new aren't you !" to "you walked too close to my human". My bossy, grumpy pregnant herd queen is of course the worst offender, but as she's getting so big she can hardly move, she's looking more for sunny places to lay down over asserting her dominance. She knows she can reclaim it in a heartbeat! Today my two kids were playing by head butting. Or, should I say, the doeling was playing...the buckling was interpreting her behavior a bit differently! I explained to him the term "jailbait" as I put him in his own pen! LOL.


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## Peggy1689 (Oct 17, 2014)

thanks! Young billy is getting used to his new home and only bleats for Mama occasionally now! I guess head butting is part of natural goat behavior.


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