Artificial Insemination FTW!

Oh yes, you read that right. After our experience with this buck “Asshole” over the past couple of days, our resolve to insure that we have the ability to use AI on our girls next breeding season has multiplied exponentially. The only reason we didn’t do it this year was due to the expense. After this experience, we will do everything in our power to prevent having another adult buck on our property!

That scoundrel attacked me yesterday – several times! I tried to chain him while I went in to do chores, and he slipped yanked out of his collar. He rammed me several times, and had me pinned against the wall. I have a pretty decent wound on my right shin –  it still hurts today, and is likely going to leave a scar. Thankfully, he was disbudded as a baby, so he has no horns. I might have suffered very serious injuries if he had gored me – I might not even be here today to type this. This is a great example of why it is vital that goats be disbudded. In addition to the threat he poses to me, he could really hurt our girls – let’s just say that goat sex isn’t a gentle affair, and foreplay does include some head-butting. That could result in injury or even death to our girls. And in case there’s any question as to whether it’s just the bucks that demonstrate aggression – the answer is no. While they are more likely to be aggressive, and certainly with more frequency, does will also head-butt. I’ve read about owners getting hurt, and a story about a young doe mother who was irritated with her very active baby, who was kind of badgering her. The owner witnessed the mother head-butt the kid, simply trying to push it away from her, and inadvertently, she gored her baby on her horns. It was obvious from her own panic that it was not her intention to do so. I would hate to lose a kid in that manner, and would feel terribly for the mama who killed her own child.

So horns should not be a part of a domestic goat herd. Period.

I spoke with Awesome Vet, who loaned us “Asshole” and she assured me that this is normal buck behavior on his part, and that it is very important that we do not let him get away with it. We need to assert our dominance over him. She recommended that we have an object to swat him on the head between the ears, as there is a nerve there that will stun him enough to make him stop for at least a few seconds, so that we can get control of the situation again. George went into the pen with me last night and held “Asshole” while I did the nightly chores. I had to just throw their morning hay over the wall this morning, as I can’t go into the pen by myself. This is not something we want to contend with in the future! We are anxious for this gigoloat to get our girls knocked up so that he can go home, and our little herd can return to its peaceful, happy existence.

We are very grateful that we were able to borrow him, though, despite all of this trouble. It was a very generous loan of a goat, as he has excellent genetics, and comes from strong milking lines from both of his parents. All of his sisters have been great milkers, too. So at the very least, we should have a great generation of milkers coming in the spring!

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