Billy Question

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Dani

Dani

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I have a beautiful nubian/Spanish mixed billy who is 15 months old and weighs probably close to 160 lbs. My problem with him is that he catches other goats front legs in his horns. Hunny and I were at one of his doctors appointments today and when we came home I found one of my does with a broken front leg. I am just guessing but I don't think I am too far off here. We set her leg with a splint and brought her inside for tonight since it has been thundering. My question is has anyone dealt with this behavior before. Can a stick tied to horns help like when you have one who likes to get her head stuck.. . . I' was wanting him for breeding but if he has this kind of temperament I will have tocull him.
 
Tying a branch across his horns will create a 'box' that can trap legs easier and cause more issues. If that behavior had become a habit I doubt you will be able to stop it.

If you want to keep him for breeding I'd keep him in a separate pen. Keeping him separate will keep your does and YOU safer and make kidding dates more predictable. Horns are dangerous and I keep them out of my herd.
 
TMT Tactical said:
Okay, being the city guy I am, how about just cutting off or at least trimming down the horns?
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The problem with that is that if the horn buds aren't burned off as an infant (10 to 14 days or so old) the sinus cavity developed into the interior of the horn. The inside of the horn is hollow. Cutting the horn off at that point will open the sinus/lungs to airborne contaminates and insects. If the goat was disbudded and not all the horn tissue was destroyed then you will get scurs that will be solid and can be cut short if they are attached to the skull. If the scur is loose, only attached to the skin, then they will break off on their own when the goat head butts something.
 
Terri9630 said:
The problem with that is that if the horn buds aren't burned off as an infant (10 to 14 days or so old) the sinus cavity developed into the interior of the horn. The inside of the horn is hollow. Cutting the horn off at that point will open the sinus/lungs to airborne contaminates and insects. If the goat was disbudded and not all the horn tissue was destroyed then you will get scurs that will be solid and can be cut short if they are attached to the skull. If the scur is loose, only attached to the skin, then they will break off on their own when the goat head butts something.
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I knew there had to be more to it than a simple horn haircut. So next question, why are they not de-horned (debudded) while young? Thank Terri.
 
I guess I shouldn't have said temperament and instead said behavior because he really is a sweet boy. Although he can be a pest when I'm out in the pastures with him wanting his attention. I'm just really on the fence with this one. Maybe my best bet right now will be to just keep him separate and see how it goes.
 
Dani said:
I guess I shouldn't have said temperament and instead said behavior because he really is a sweet boy. Although he can be a pest when I'm out in the pastures with him wanting his attention. I'm just really on the fence with this one. Maybe my best bet right now will be to just keep him separate and see how it goes.
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Just be very careful around him. One moment of fustetation and he could swing that head harder then he meant to and gore you.
 
Caribou said:
Sorry but that sounds like freezer camp and a slower cooker to me.
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Gotta have a buck or there are no kids. Bucks can be temperamental. Like bulls but much, much smaller. My buck is normally really sweet but last time I had to clean his water bucket he was upset because I wasn't playing with him that he swung his head and knocked all the air out of me. Caught me right in the stomach. Hes 5 years old and that was a first.
 
Terri9630 said:
Gotta have a buck or there are no kids. Bucks can be temperamental. Like bulls but much, much smaller. My buck is normally really sweet but last time I had to clean his water bucket he was upset because I wasn't playing with him that he swung his head and knocked all the air out of me. Caught me right in the stomach. Hes 5 years old and that was a first.
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If your buck had horns, would it only be the air that got knocked out of you. Even if he only gored you once every five years I'd pass on the experience. This one has already broken one leg of a doe. Cantankerousness can be passed down. I'm still going for freezer camp and a new buck w/o horns. Then again, I've never owned goats, so what do I know.
 
I'd be penning him separate to the nannies. But here's the thing goats are herd animals and the most horrific thing that can happen to herd animal isn't death it's being separated from a herd. Save one of the young casterated billies and have him as a companion or his temper will get worse because he'll be able to hear, see and smell the nannies when they come into season and he'll be lonely.
 
Worst thing that has ever happened in the last 15 years was while trying to get the gate closed and secured my billy had run over turned his head and while doing so caught my leg with his horn and I got knocked off my feet and onto the ground. We have packs of coyotes and bobcats around here so I like that my goats can defend themselves. My husband's buddy lost his entire heard except for his one billy who had horns to a lack of wild dogs. His does did not.
 
My bucks pens share a fence with the does and they tend to stay nearby at night. His temperament actually improved after he was separated. He wasn't territorial and defensive anymore. I bought a horse toy, a ball with a built in handle and hung it for him to play with. He gets it swinging like a teather ball and when I put a doe in with him he gets upset if the mess with it. That's his ball!
 
Caribou said:
If your buck had horns, would it only be the air that got knocked out of you. Even if he only gored you once every five years I'd pass on the experience. This one has already broken one leg of a doe. Cantankerousness can be passed down. I'm still going for freezer camp and a new buck w/o horns. Then again, I've never owned goats, so what do I know.
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If he'd have had horns then I'd have been in deep do do.
 
Terri9630 said:
My bucks pens share a fence with the does and they tend to stay nearby at night. His temperament actually improved after he was separated. He wasn't territorial and defensive anymore. I bought a horse toy, a ball with a built in handle and hung it for him to play with. He gets it swinging like a teather ball and when I put a doe in with him he gets upset if the mess with it. That's his ball!
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Sounds like a Millennium goat. OR a Liberal goat, either way, I think he is moving closer to the cooking area. :ghostly:
 
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