Goat breeders know that the horned “devil” can bring you to a white heat. This is a free, capricious animal, and when the goat is still butting, only flight will help. She won’t back down, that’s her character. The opportunity to butt heads only excites and provokes her. What is the reason for this behavior, maybe it’s a mistake in communicating with the animal? It is necessary to analyze everything and try to correct omissions.
Why does a goat butt
In a herd, goats can butt heads for various reasons: having fun, sorting things out at the feeder. The goats butt for dominance in the “girls’ harem.”They attack a person because he himself taught them to do so. For fun, the owners play with the kids and press on the horns. For kids, this is an imitation of fighting, but when they grow up, they use the horns seriously.
Male goats especially love to fight, because for them it is a natural instinct. Intentionally causing serious injury to an opponent is not in the female’s character. Goats butt fiercely during the rutting season, when they defend their herd or territory. Sometimes goats easily butt kids while raising or driving them away.
How to stop a goat from butting
It is difficult to wean adult animals from a bad habit, but it must be done. The main commandment for owners: when playing with kids, you must not pick them up by their growing horns or put pressure on the frontal area. Another person must establish leadership; you should not be “your brother” for the horned robbers. If there is aggression, cold water will cool down the impudent person. A loud, commanding voice helps, as it can teach pets proper manners.
Conflicts with animals often arise:
- When the owner enters the paddock area.
- During feed distribution.
- The owner takes the animal for a walk.
- When trying to touch the horns.
Knowledgeable people recommend taking a small spray bottle with you. When the goat advances, you need to shout “stop” or “back”. For particularly naughty pets, arrange an educational shower with cold water. Amazingly, they learn the lessons, but not right away. It should be remembered: frequent stress affects the mental health of animals; you should not overdo it with training.
How to neutralize animal horns
When “persuasions” are in vain, dehorning surgery is performed. It can be done on an adult animal. The veterinarian must administer anesthesia (anesthesia).Radical actions are an extreme method that not every owner likes. There are less traumatic methods of defense that will protect you from the attacks of the “wolf tree”.
Insulation for pipes
This is a good option if the goat is butting. Soft building tubes are cut larger than the length of the horns. To prevent the caps from flying off, they are tightened slightly with special clamps. The goats look comical, but the design brings safety to the goats themselves and the people.
You should choose a safe material; the goat may accidentally chew the protection. At night, it is advisable to remove the fuses so that the animal can rest. They also use their horns to scratch themselves from insect bites.
Tennis balls
The owner of a pugnacious goat came up with such devices. Soft tennis balls are ideal for safety hoods. To put the ball on, you first need to drill a hole. The work should be carried out carefully; goats do not really like experiments on themselves. The balls hold perfectly, so additional fastenings are usually excluded. It is recommended to purchase several sets of balls; sometimes animals lose them while walking when they itch against fences. It is necessary to remove them in the evening and give your pet a rest from unpleasant sensations.
Sewn socks
When you don’t want to spend money on balls and pipes, you can sew soft socks for your antlers yourself. It looks fun, but it's also safe. There is no need to be afraid of painful horn pricks when a goat butts.
To make soft cases, it is advisable to take thick fabric; an old coat or thick blanket is suitable for these purposes.
You need to measure the volume of the horn, its length, and cut out a rectangular blank.Then stitch it from the larger side and turn the seam inside. The final part should be formed separately - like a ball filled with cotton wool or other soft filler. Finally, connect the parts.
Of course, safety comes first, but you need to try to cause less pain to your pets. From constant stress, a dairy goat can lose milk and even get sick. Pay attention to your behavior, do not irritate or provoke animals to attack. Treat your pets more humanely, they will repay you with kindness.
