# Goat Thumping & Rubbing Horns on Posts



## lenallen (Mar 25, 2009)

One of my 2-1/2 year old wethers has developed a new habit. He will stand next to a fence post or other rigid object and repeatedly thump one of his horns against it. The motion is always the same: it starts with thump the base of a horn against the post with a sideward head motion, then rub the remaining length of horn across the post with forward head motion. It sounds like thump-scrape, thump-scrape, ... He repeats that cycle about once every 3 seconds. He is not hitting the post hard. It's kinda like a firm tap. He'll do that for 3-5 minutes, stop, then do it again an hour or so later or later in the day.

Is that likely as unimportant as head-rolling discussed on another thread? A sign of pain?


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

most likely it's marking of territory and/or rank.


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

Totally normal. I only get onto them for it if they are damaging something. Like the feeder or side of the barn. I sometimes put a post in the pen to keep them from rubbing their horns on other stuff. Like Sanhestar said, part of it may for scent marking. They usually smell it after they rub, similar to what what other ungulate males do.


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## bentmettle (Jul 29, 2009)

Various old branches find their way into the pen; my 2 youngsters usually shred them up pretty good. I figure it's a fancy pants scratching post for an area of their head I certainly don't rub that much


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Cuzco was rubbing his horn on the side of his shed so much he was knocking the paint off, so I bought some short-bristled scrub brushes such as you would use to scrub your deck and screwed them into the side of the shed at scratching level. He not only rubs his head on them but also his body. You might consider giving your goat something like this to rub on.


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## DKalakay (Dec 24, 2009)

I tie 3-5 inch branches along the fence and cut off some of the side branches. They love to eat the bark, buds, and leaves and have the side sticks to rub their heads on. I left the loppers on the fence yesterday and Stanley my LaMancha spent 20 minutes gently rubbing his face along the blade. Now if I can only get Driggs my Saanen to stop bashing his head full force into the barn when he's mad. 
Denise


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Haha! Cuzco bashes his head into the side of the shed when he's mad too! Usually it's when I'm feeding and he's being a little too insistent so I send him outside. He's very good about going, but once he gets out there a series of tremendous SLAM'S make the whole shed shake as Cuzco takes his frustration out on the wall. He's like a kid throwing a temper tantrum! He's not allowed to slam walls or the feed bin inside the shed when I'm in there. He has to go outside away from people if he's going to act out.


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## lenallen (Mar 25, 2009)

OMG. You mean my Custer is normal in ramming the side of the shed? He's just dramatizing his frustration that the world isn't adjusting to his own self-appointed supremacy?

I swear, this showman even exaggerates a painful CAE-limp when I come near. Yeh, he tested positive at WADDL, but he also tested positive on the limp-along scale here at home until a vigorous 5-mile cabin-fever-relief hike today. And he's gobbling hay tonite.

Hmmmm... who's training who?


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