# Goat doing a Stevie Wonder impression-normal?



## jblynnb (Feb 9, 2016)

Hi all, I've had goats for a couple years and I saw something tonight that I haven't seen before. Just wondering if anyone can tell me if it is normal or cause for concern: my pregnant Nigerian Dwarf started doing an impression of Stevie Wonder tonight. She looks straight up, and then moves her head back and forth slowly like Stevie Wonder used to. 
Does anyone have a goat that does this? Does it mean anything?


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Does your goat have horns? When my goats started doing weird head movements like the tweakers around here do, I thought something was wrong with them. Then I realized their horns had grown long enough that they were trying to scratch their backs with them.

If that's not it, there's something called star gazing that's been mentioned on some threads here.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Is she circling or staggering at all?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

If its the only thing she is doing...no circling, stargazing..walking drunk ect....then it might be Helicopting...I had does who did this...sometimes mine would stand front legs on the fence and bend all the way back while swinging her head...she was our ranch clown


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## SeventeenFarms (Dec 10, 2013)

I have a Dwarf Nigerian who stretches her neck - she will stretch up and to the sides, rolling back her eyes a bit. Ive always been curious if something was wrong - stiff, hurt, etc? yet she butts and plays with abandon. This has been going on for years now and almost seems normal for her to do. I dont know. I have often wondered about this too. I have three boers who never have done this.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Can you get a video on her?

It does sound normal if she is not doing other things along with it.


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## bigz48877 (Oct 18, 2016)

*Tag*

I have a mini Lamacha doe that does something like that.


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## jblynnb (Feb 9, 2016)

Oh my goodness, thank you for all the replies! I've had my hands full with my first case of pneumonia in my goats. I think it must be normal because she doesn't stagger or anything. Other than looking like she swallowed a power wheels sideways, she looks and acts normal. She doesn't do the Stevie Wonder impression often, but the night I posted she did it for about 10 minutes. She's polled, so she wasn't scratching her back or anything. Maybe she was asleep and dreaming of using phantom horns to scratch an itch?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yeah, she sounds OK.


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## jblynnb (Feb 9, 2016)

Just wanted to give a quick update. Mama "Stevie Wonder" goat had 2 bucklings and a doeling yesterday. The whole time she was in soft labor she did the Stevie Wonder impression, head arched back and making figure eights. She also made that silly face that bucks make when they pee on themselves (I call it the ShaNayNay lip, after the In Living Color character but I'm not sure what the proper term is). My phone crapped out right as I started video, otherwise I'd show you what I mean. Mama and babies are healthy and happy and the impressions have stopped.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

The lip thing is the flehmen response. There are scent organs under the top lip. (Bulls, stallions and bucks are a few of the animals that do the lip thing.)

Congratulations on your triplets!


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