# What about goat collars??



## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

I got some regular dog collars the other day to put on my does and buckling. But then I took them off-lol!! It made me nervous thinking what if they got hung up on something, that they may choke themselves. 

How many of you use collars? Are they safe? Are the breakaway type better?

I have been using goat halters but the halters run the hair off of their pudgy noses


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I use collars - no issues


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

I use collars, I like the plastic link ones that break if they get caught. But they are big for the kids, I leave them without a collar until I need them to have one and then I use a dog collar until they are big enough for a plastic link collar. Haven't had any problem yet.

Jan


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## staceylwolf (Feb 11, 2011)

Mine wear dog collars. They have worn the same collars since I brought them home at 6 weeks old. I've just had to change the hole as they grew. I've never had any issues.


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## KatieT (Mar 20, 2011)

I use nylon dog collars. I have them on pretty loose, so that if it did get caught on something the goats could wiggle their heads out. I also buy the collars with plastic buckles - I feel like they might have a greater chance of breaking away if a goat gets stuck and struggles. 

I find it really helpful to have collars on my goats - often when I'm out with them I need to grab one quickly, and it's nice to have a handle.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

All but my bucks wear collars...the dog collars from the dollar store.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

We do have 3 girls with buckle collars that came to us with them that have never gotten caught on anything but when I get some for my others I am going to get the plastic breakaway ones from the dollar store. I think they will work well.


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## coltrule (Mar 24, 2011)

I use Nylon dog collers from the farm store.


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

I use nylon dog collars. They are loose, but not so they can wiggle their head out


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Nope, no collars except when working on them. Since everyone is horned Ive never chanced it.


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## coltrule (Mar 24, 2011)

My goats have horns..and they have collers...but i've never had a problem with it.


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## Mon Reve Farm (Jun 25, 2010)

Our boys have the typical dog collars with the plastic clip. We even have one on Henry our ram lamb.

The wethers and most of the does don't have any on. We had bought those plastic links but they didn't stay on.

I did buy three leather collars from Play Rite Farm with names embossed. Luv them!! The link is a pix of one of them.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 1512159626


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## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

Thanks that makes me feel alot more confident. I guess my buck can have his camo collar back  

Mine all have horns, but it is not the horns that worry me--it is fences and things around the barn ect. --you name it and I am sure they can get into it! LOL!!

Oh-I LOVE those leather collars w/the names-awesome!


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## Mon Reve Farm (Jun 25, 2010)

I luv them too! They are a very good quality leather and Carla's husband did a great job with the names.

The only thing I had to do was trim Bugaboo's since she is the more dainty of the three and we had to use the second to the last hole on the collar. Since I had decided those three are in their forever homes I figured it was worth the expense to order those collars. At this point I don't think I would do that for all the goats... especially since we have 18 at this time.


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## potentialfarm (Apr 11, 2011)

I used collars in the past, but am too paranoid now. I have bucket hooks with the guards to keep the goats from unhooking the water buckets. My best Nubian doe got her collar under the guard, onto the hook, & it appeared she had done a somersault. The collar was twisted so tightly around the hook, she could hardly breathe. 
I feel that whatever I consider impossible, they will achieve. I keep a couple of collars hanging where it's easy for me to grab one if neccessary.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 28, 2011)

for us: No collars, unless they are being worked. In my opinion, Goats have enough reasons to drop dead.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I too only use collars when I am working with my goats. They browse in thick wooded areas where there is a lot of brush and trees that they could get hung up on...collars are convenient but not worth the risk in my situation.


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## rjfoster03 (May 29, 2010)

I made my two little girls have leather collars with their names stamped on them. They have no issues with them getting caught on anything, etc...


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I don't leave collars on either. I can just see my goats getting into 2x more trouble with them on. They are friendly, and I don't have trouble catching them and even if I do I know I can corner them in the barn without a fight, so I just see leaving a collar on pointless, but if you have a hornless hard to catch goat, I can see it being a necessity so long as they aren't browsing any place they can get into trouble with a collar


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

I've had one bad experience with collars in the past, but that was with two horned goats. No more horns, and I still use collars, albeit the plastic chain link breakaways. My buckling doesn't have a collar right now, but when he's old enough, he'll inherit the old leather spiked collar-for handling at least. I left it on Maverick the whole time I had him last year, but I'm not risking anything happening to my boy this year. When he's old enough, he'll have a breakaway just like the girls, but the leather collar is a tough little cookie, and ought to be able to handle his 200+lb of "Iwannagothatway" moments.


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

I would feel alright with breakaways but not with a solid leather or webbing.. as it is I don't use anything. my goats come running to see me and even if they are in a "you can't catch me" mood it generally doesn't last for more than 5 minutes... I just know that since the scratch so much it seems like it would be really easy for them to get caught on something and I could never forgive myself if something awful happened... This is of course just my opinion.


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## PlayRiteFarm (Sep 24, 2010)

Thank you for the complement to my husband handi work.. we have collars on everything here,, we are both home just about 24/7 but still i have only had one get caught with the buckle of the collar on a piece of panel end < don't know if that made any since or not> i like the collars cus these Nigerian are stinkers, they want in the milk room all at the same time so i use them to get them back out if they pass my up.. or if i want to catch them for something, even the most friendly bottle baby knows when your gonna give shots and will run so they help catch them then i also use them to help train the m to lead. so all in all a good thinghttp://playritefarms.webs.com


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## PlayRiteFarm (Sep 24, 2010)

yep and someone said "they can see this if the goats didn't have horns" to use callers .. and wooded area,, i think if i had a wooded area that they were in and i was at work then no way i wouldn't have collars on them either.. but we live in Nebraska.. prairie the only trees i have is my wind break.. and i've had a one horned buck that i leased reach through a cattle panel to get some tall weeds and he hung himself during the night... so no horns here.. so i can see pros and cons with collars too.. identification is anther area for collars if you had to go someplace and you had someone come to help and fee fee need a bit extra attention.. if fee fee had a collar of any kind with her name on it there is less likely hood of a mistake being made


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Mine wear nylon dog collars. They have horns. My fit so that I can put two fingers between the collr and thier neck...like I do with my dogs. I have not had any problems.

If you are worried about them getting caught on something, then the plastic collars or the snap on dog type would probubaly make you feel better as they will break.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I have waterproof rubber coated dog collars with the metal buckles on my four does. My goats have horns so when I was using the plain nylon or leather (the sun killed the leather and they snapped with the slightest pulls) my mean doe would hook her horn in them and twist trying to choke the other but after getting these she gave up because it would not really twist or get enough friction to do anything. Never really had problems with them on brush even when I lived in Mississippi and let them out to browse in he forest. They also are waterproof so they stay clean and you can get them in crazy colors.


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## citylights (Jul 3, 2009)

no collars for me. I am afraid of them getting caught on something...


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## SweetSaanens (Mar 6, 2011)

I used to take care of a goat that could not be confined by ANY fence so she got tied out sometimes. She would break at least 1 collar a week breaking herself free from the line even one with a metal clasp. I am pretty sure the big goats and break out of collars if needed. for the others I keep it loose enough that they can slip out if they need to but I don't keep collars on my dwarf goats, they always get stuck on something weather it is a tree branch or their horns in their own collar or another goats collar.


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## Happy Hobby Farmer (May 16, 2011)

I never leave them on the bucks, they just play too rough with one another and I've seen the horns go under the collars, so I don't take the risk. I keep collars on my hard to catch girls and ones I handle on a daily basis. I don't leave any on the kids because they are such bigs sucks I don't have to :laugh: .

We've never had anyone get hurt or killed while wearing a collar.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

I never keep collars on mine!!!!

I had a yearling with a 2 week old doeling, I was on vacation and the sitter left the gate open, Zephyr came out and strangeld herself on a small spruce tree..left the 2 week old alone. 

And another breeder whom I'm very good friends with had a goat (who cost well over $1k to bring up) got a horn through the collar and snapped his neck! 

I will NEVER leave a collar on my goats for these reasons


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## Tolers Boers (Jul 4, 2011)

Hey we put dog and farm store collars. some have buckles = metal. some have that plastic clip lock. we put bells on the kids to keep up with em. we haven't had any problems with using collars. from a distance it tells me which one is which between two nubians look exactly alike. all our collars re same width also.


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## craftEcowgirl (Oct 4, 2013)

So what width and length of collar is good for 8-10 week old kids? Id like to buy two before my kids arrive. Also anyone buy name tags for collars? Figured might work good in case they get lose from pen.


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

This thread is almost 3 years old.


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## craftEcowgirl (Oct 4, 2013)

Yes, but doesnt it make sense to respond here and not start up a new thread? Reason there is a search option


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

I buy cat collars for my kids, and then buy them the bigger collars when they fit into them. Even my ober wethers whom I bottle fed, they started with a small dog collar, and now they are in ton large dog catagory.


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## CritterCarnival (Sep 18, 2013)

It's just a general forum policy against "necro-posting", since in many cases the information is old and outdated because the original post is so old.



craftEcowgirl said:


> Yes, but doesnt it make sense to respond here and not start up a new thread? Reason there is a search option


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## DesertFlowerNigerians (Mar 27, 2014)

I make collars for my goats.  I have nigerians, what breed do you have? I've been thinking about selling the collars that I make.

_________________________________________________

*Desert Flower Ranch Nigerian Dwarf Goats*
http://www.desertflowerranchaz.com

Home to a small herd of 4 does, 2 wethers and 2 bucks.

~Charisa~


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

It does make sense initially to just respond to the original thread, but information is always changing and evolving and I would hate for someone to get outdated info by thinking the thread is current.

No big deal, but definitely start your own thread and you will get better, more up to date responses.


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## craftEcowgirl (Oct 4, 2013)

Strange, since every other forum ridicules for starting new threads, without searching first. go figure. but I do understand about old info, just didnt feel like this threads info was outdated.


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## DesertFlowerNigerians (Mar 27, 2014)

Here are some pictures of the collars that I make. Silly goat won't stay still so pictures aren't REALLY good. (pictured is my doe Pebbles and the Dark Green collar, she's had that collar on for about 3 months )




















_________________________________________________

*Desert Flower Ranch Nigerian Dwarf Goats*
http://www.desertflowerranchaz.com

Home to a small herd of 4 does, 2 wethers and 2 bucks.

~Charisa~


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Like I said, it's not a big deal or anything, just a suggestion.  I use breakaway collars like this, and I only put them on when I need them. I am paranoid about goats accidentally hanging themselves from their collars and mine are very easy to catch, so this works well for me.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I still use the same collars I did then and still love them. :wink:


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## agreenwd (Apr 11, 2015)

My goats are currently collar free, except when going from the stantion back to the pasture. Had collars on them, my 5 year old got caught on a tree over the fence, tore her ear on the barbed wire. If I did not see this happening through my livingroom window the collar would have strangled her. I ran out to her and held her (150 pounds up) while my neighbor got her collar off. This was a buckle nylon collar which tightened as she pulled. It only takes one incident to loose a goat.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

I use collars that are cheap off eBay. One of my goats got their horn caught in another's collar and because they are cheap the clasp broke really easy. They didn't even seem to realise anything had gone wrong. It snap because she went to take a step back to butt the other one again and that force broke it. Since then I haven't had any others break or get caught up etc. it doesn't really bother me if they do break them though as they are only 2$! I don't have them on all my goats, just the ones that are still a bit hard to catch.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

All my goats get collars when they are yearlings. In 35 years of goats, I have never had a problem with goats and collars, even when I several horned Boers.


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## sassykat6181 (Nov 28, 2012)

I use dog collars on the disbudded goats and plastic chains on the boers. They are in separate pastures


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## rebelINny (Feb 7, 2014)

I have collars on all my goats past weaning age. I like having having something to grab when I'm giving meds or whatever. None of my goats have built in handles (horns). I've ever had a collar get caught or any problems whatsoever with them.


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