Headbutting in Goats
I wrote the following on the Goat Berries Facebook page recently and got such a great response in the comments, I thought I’d repost here for anyone who doesn’t frequent Facebook or who just may have missed it:
8 goats have passed through the pen in the
3 years I’ve had goaties.
2 are currently in there now.
1 = number of headbutts I’ve received —
And it happened today.
The buck got jealous that I was hand-feeding Pasqualina some baking soda (what, he doesn’t EAT it!), and he gave me a love tap, horns and all, from the side.
Not totally gentle, but not too hard either. It was actually kind of cute, because then he just looked at me as if to say, “UM, ME!”
He doesn't look like a headbutter, does he?!
But, yeah, it’s funny that he was my first headbutter after three years of being around goats. I *so* love all my mild-mannered girls who have passed through!
So tell me goat people, do you have or have you had headbutters?
Were they male or female or have you seen equality in the goat sexes on this issue?
Remember if you’d like to see other comments on this issue, check out the post on Facebook!
10 Responses to “Headbutting in Goats”
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Wow, he is so cute! Figures, being an Italian goat… 😉
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michelle Reply:
January 16th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Hee hee…he just wants attention 🙂
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Great looking guy! Our wethers like to give us “what about me” head butts when we’re lovin’ up another goat and they want some attention. It’s usually around getting a good scratch and is generally good natured but can be less than gentle. If we are trying to feed one goat a treat individually and the rest of the herd is nearby, it’s mayhem. When it comes to treats, our littlest female will knock the queen on her ass to get the apple first. That’s why I love goats… socially fascinating and always amusing.
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michelle Reply:
January 16th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Definitely always amusing…just never know what they’re going to do next 🙂
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I have scars from my big billy goat taking swipes at me. Not that pleasant. At all.
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michelle Reply:
January 16th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Bad billy! Bad billy!
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Ahhh….the good old headbutts….yep! Can’t really say your a goatie person until this happens….lol! JK!!! Didn’t really pay much attention to the sex, just knew that my head didn’t feel good! 😉 Glad it was just a love tap! he he! xo <3 p.s. cute buckaroo!!
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michelle Reply:
January 16th, 2012 at 10:52 am
Ooh I haven’t gotten head to head except for under my chin, and those have been accidental. I should know better than to leave my head there hahaha 😉
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I must have brat goats. I have a wether, doe and 3 billies. The billies are the butters! We kind of fell into having goats and you know that saying ‘if I knew then, what I know now’… well, things would be different. They’d all be without horns and castrated, but alas, they’re not. So, come fall especially, I have my hands full of some very rowdy boys. Dreamer, our big Alpine is the hardest to deal with since he is so big and has such large horns and he sure has gotten me good a couple of times. The pygmies aren’t so bad and at least I can out wrestle them. lol Oh well, we love them all … butters or not.
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michelle Reply:
January 17th, 2012 at 10:52 am
Haha…butters! Too cute 🙂
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