My whether has started bullying me-have to get rid of him

chicks & ducks

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Hi folks
I'm here because I'm at my wits end. 1 of my 2 whether goats has turned pretty mean! He's so aggressive that it's to the point where I had to squirt him with water yesterday just to be able to walk from the house to my truck and back. Otherwise he tries to ram and gorge and jump on me. He can be very sweet and used to be SUCH a cuddler but it's getting dangerous now and he hurt me pretty bad last night. Bad enough that I'm considering selling him off. :(
His brother(who is the more dominant between the two) doesn't behave like this unless he sees it happening already-then he just joins in. We're going to try and keep that one(the nicer one) as company for our alpaca but I think Benny-the aggressive one, has to go. :(

I've obviously gone wrong somewhere. We tried to discourage jumping up but that hasn't seemed to sunk in. My son, who is 10, is scared to death of the goats. To be fair they weigh more than him and they are not dehorned. He would run away from them-which I think they interpreted to be playing. Then they'd jump up so he'd grab them the only way he could-by the horns. I told him not to do it but he would panic and now that I've been in the same situation myself I can understand it. Getting hooked hurts!

I guess what I'm saying is-does anyone have any advice as to what I can do differently this time. Here's what I'm thinking

1. Smaller goats! We just got 2 regular male goats from a milking farm for $10 each to start out with-I don't like to invest a lot of money in an animal until I'm sure I can take care of it health wise. Now I'm more confident with vaccines/copper and all that I'm happier to invest in something smaller/more expensive

2. although I HATE to do it... we will dehorn. It sounds so cruel but I think maybe there are just some instincts that I can't conquer with them.

3.-what else? I had these guys leash trained and bottle fed them from babies and everything. It makes me so sad that it's got to this point-I really was trying to do everything 'right'(if there is such a thing).

Any suggestions? I can even take some constructive criticism -emphasis on CONSTRUCTIVE. I want to learn. What about breeds? are there some I should stay away from all together? Dh is asking about a fainting goat now but they still look pretty big to me-I was thinking DS might not be so afraid if, say, the goat was smaller than him? He's only a little guy himself.

Sorry my thoughts are a bit scattered, it's shaken me up a bit... Thanks!
 

Beekissed

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3.-what else? I had these guys leash trained and bottle fed them from babies and everything. It makes me so sad that it's got to this point-I really was trying to do everything 'right'(if there is such a thing).
I've read repeatedly that bottle/hand feeding male goats, sheep, cattle, roosters, etc. is a recipe for disaster, even if they are wethered/castrated at a young age. They get confused about herd structure and their place in it and your place in it.

If you simply must bottle feed male offspring or orphans, I'd set up a bucket nipple feeding for those animals. I'd also set up the feeding where they can't see you doing it and then let them into that area once you have the feed in place. I wouldn't pet or fondle them during the feeding process or near the time they've been fed. I'd reserve socialization to humans in the form of halter training, handling, etc. for times not associated with feeding/nurturing.

In the end, any animal that still gets rowdy after using this method, I'd cull. Wethers have no use except companionship for other animals and for eating...if he can't be one, I'd make him the other.
 

aggieterpkatie

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They're just being brats. I have never had an aggressive wether, even when he's been bottle fed (I've had several wether goats and sheep). Wethers normally make the sweetest pets. I'm guessing these two just got out of control for whatever reason.
 

ThreeBoysChicks

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I have two whethers and they get along really well. Now mine live with 2 draft horses. So there is never a question as to who is in charge in the field.
 

SuburbanFarmChic

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I would be tempted, if they aren't too huge to do it, to try the sitting on them thing. When he goes to charge you, grab his horns and take him to the GROUND. Whole body down and straddle him and sit in him until he no longer struggles to get up. Wear yucky clothes as you will get covered in goat while doing this. It is the one benefit to having horns as I once had to do this to a buck by only his ears.
 

20kidsonhill

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We purchased a bottle raised buckling to use as a herd sire, the owner left the buckling follow him around and he played head pushing games with him. It wasn't very nice having to retrain him to stay down and not rush through the gates. He has gotten better. But when his potential size is going to top 200lbs something had to be done.

you would pretty much need to carry a hot stick or a club with you when you go in there and teach him to stay back. the same for your son, it isn't easy breaking a habit like that.

I don't think dehorning him is going to fix the problem. He will probably do it anyway, and they have pretty hard heads, so not having any horns isn't going to make it a whole lot better if he jumps on you and hits you with his head.
 

TTs Chicks

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I have a buck that can be a pain and when he won't back off I take him to the ground and hold him there telling him that we aren't going to play that game. Usually he gets the idea and will quit being a butthead.
 

Mamaboid

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The others have covered the problem with this goat, but I would like to address the fainter goat comment you made. I have fainters, my one buck is tiny, the other much larger. I find the fainters to be wonderful sweet natured goats. They come in all sizes and colors and hair lengths, and I would think they would make wonderful pets and companions for a smaller child. My bucks both have their horns, and the one's are huge. I have never had any problems with them using them. The little one lowers his head when I pet him so I can reach over them as he was taught really early that "Mom" doesn't like those pointy things anywhere near her. Here is a picture of my little guy. He is a year old.

4738_goats_again_046.jpg
 

HB Sheep & Goat Farm

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Here's my advice. Do NOT bottle feed any male animal. They get very very aggressive when they get grown. And as far as the one you have now, invest in a cattle prod. When he acts like he's going to hit you, give him a good dose of it. If that doesn't solve the problem Id sell him.
 

SuburbanFarmChic

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Oh and if you don't want to deal with a cattle prod we use a gate hook on an elastic electric strand that we would zot one of our buck with when he got fence testy. Sometimes he'd get very protective of just the gate and didn't want to let you in. We rigged up an extra line and would zing him with it when he got pushy. He learned to back off the gate after about 4 days.
 
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