Horned with non-horned? Bad idea?

KellyHM

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Ever since before I actually got my goats I've wanted fainters. I ended up getting into Nubians and Nigerians instead, but have always said one day I'd still have fainters. I have the opporunity to purchase 2 of them, but they have horns and my dairy goats don't. Any opinions on that? They're both sweet and tame, but that doesn't mean they'll be that way towards the rest of the herd.
 

fortheloveofgoats

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KellyHM said:
Ever since before I actually got my goats I've wanted fainters. I ended up getting into Nubians and Nigerians instead, but have always said one day I'd still have fainters. I have the opporunity to purchase 2 of them, but they have horns and my dairy goats don't. Any opinions on that? They're both sweet and tame, but that doesn't mean they'll be that way towards the rest of the herd.
I have heard of stories of goats that have horns hurt the ones that don't. Especially when it came to figuring out dominance and food. Our goats had horns and they used them every time we fed and when they felt like playing.
 

elevan

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I have horned and hornless goats both in my herd and have no problems with horns being used to cause harm. My most aggressive doe and the most likely to harm another goat is hornless.

The only horn injury I had was among my bucks when one caught another in the testicles. The injury as minor and caused no lasting damage.

Individual personalities vary and you'll have to determine what's best for your herd, but it can and is done to have a mixed herd of horned / hornless.
 

Mamaboid

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KellyHM said:
Ever since before I actually got my goats I've wanted fainters. I ended up getting into Nubians and Nigerians instead, but have always said one day I'd still have fainters. I have the opporunity to purchase 2 of them, but they have horns and my dairy goats don't. Any opinions on that? They're both sweet and tame, but that doesn't mean they'll be that way towards the rest of the herd.
I have a mixed herd with horned and not horned together. Both of my bucks are fainters. One of them is just a year old and we have had him since he was weaned. He has never used his horns on any of the other goats except the one little doe that is his age, and she has horns and is always buttin heads with him. She always starts it. The big buck we have only had a couple days, he is 3. I can only speak of a couple days but so far he has not shown any inclination to use them on anything or anybody. I questioned his previous owner thoroughly on this subject and she assured me that he has never used his horns on any of the other goats. That fits with the tameness and calmness of the breed over all.

This is Dude, the 1 yr old.
4738_goats_again_046.jpg


This is Eli, the new 3 yr old.
4738_new_goats_and_puppies_016.jpg


The fainter doe that we bought with Eli has no horns and they have been together since they were babies with no problems.
 

jodief100

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I have two with no horns and the rest have horns. Jaz, my little LaMancha is bottom of the herd. I think it has as much to do with the fact she is small and demure than the fact she has no horns. Ginger is a polled kiko/Spanish and she will kick others around.

I agree, it is much mroe to do with the individual goat than the horns.
 

peachick

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elevan said:
I have horned and hornless goats both in my herd and have no problems with horns being used to cause harm. My most aggressive doe and the most likely to harm another goat is hornless.

The only horn injury I had was among my bucks when one caught another in the testicles. The injury as minor and caused no lasting damage.

Individual personalities vary and you'll have to determine what's best for your herd, but it can and is done to have a mixed herd of horned / hornless.
same here. My hornless does are the most dominant LOL
actually tho, when they do fight/play they use the top of their head..... not the horns. It's not like they use the horns as a weapon.
I have one hornless boy in with a few boys with horns. and he can knock heads just as good and just as hard as the boys with horns. He is not at the top of the hierarchy but hes not at the bottom either... he can handle himself just fine.
 

fortheloveofgoats

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I guess I just had an aggressive boer whether. He would knock Lil Lady down, and keep hitting her in the side with his horns. I had to sit in the pen with them and hold onto Lil Lady's feed while she ate, so Fatso wouldn't hurt her. Sorry.
 

KellyHM

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The first doe I ever had was a pygmy with horns and she did fine with the herd. My main concern is the introduction period.
 

currycomb

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my observation with our fainter buck, he gets excited, and falls over. no chance of him doing any damage to the others
 

elevan

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fortheloveofgoats said:
I guess I just had an aggressive boer whether. He would knock Lil Lady down, and keep hitting her in the side with his horns. I had to sit in the pen with them and hold onto Lil Lady's feed while she ate, so Fatso wouldn't hurt her. Sorry.
Was he truly using his horns or just the top of his head? Often using the top of their head many will mistake that they're using their horns when it's not the case. If he was truly hitting your doe in the side with his horns you would have had a puncture wound. The horns do extend the "top of the head" but the horns are no harder than the skull when they ram, they just create a larger ramming surface by a few inches.
 

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