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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

I didn't find that the does were the least bit discriminatory.   They 
bullied anyone and everyone, horns or no horns.  Like I said, the Sanaan in 
particular was a "b".

I've found goats to be a whole lot like children.  The very distinct 
difference is that children can be educated, usually, and goats can't, at 
least about horns and other animals.  Horns and people, yes.  Horns and 
other animals AND PITA goats and fences, no.  Well, the other big 
difference, you can't sell a child down the road or make dogfood out of them 
if they can't be educated <g>

A goat with horns can be like an uneducated child with a bb gun! Once they 
have them and learn how to use them, look out!  If they have them/it and 
they have that particular inclination or even a slight inclination, they are 
dangerous.  Yes, a goat without horns can be a bully but they rarely advance 
to the dangerous stage.  And, if they do, well, unlike the child <g> they 
can be "disposed" of and taking the goat out behind the barn, except to make 
dog food out of them, doesn't leave a lasting impression!

Besides, like everything else on the homestead, it is the ultimate purpose 
that dictates what you do.  Me, I have two major personality disorders.  I 
am a worry wort and I am a lazy homesteader. I don't want anything to do 
with anything that creates unnecessary work for me!  Hey, that's why I love 
the lasagna method of gardening and using chickens to weed the garden patch 
during the winter.

It takes me FAR less time and maintenance to start off doelings by debudding 
them.  I don't have to worry about them getting themselves into stupid 
situations with the horns, and they will, one way or another.  I don't have 
to worry about one of them having the type of personality that lends itself 
to being a bully.  I don't have to be careful about horns when I'm around 
them.  It takes me far less time and considerable less worry to simply line 
them up and dehorn them.  A whole 5 minutes per kid if you have someone to 
hold the kid.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Clansgian AT wmconnect.com>
> I know this wasn't your point, but horns or no horns, this should be the 
> fate
> of any farm animal that can't behave.  We've had hornless goats here too,
> ones we bought already without horns.  We've never had a goat use its 
> horns
> against a hornless one.   My point being that it isn't just the natural 
> course of
> things that a horned goat will lord over a hornless (unarmed) one.  It 
> takes a
> goat with a nasty turn to do that.   ANY animal with a nasty turn needs to 
> be
> disposed of regarless of its horn status.
>
> For example, like most homesteaders we keep a few roosters.  They have 
> very
> potentially harming spurs.  Most roosters would never remotely consider 
> using
> those on us or other animals ... but some are of a nasty, aggressive turn 
> and
> they do.  Said roosters are chicken noodle soup by that evening.  We don't
> solve the problem or potential problem by cutting off the spurs, we get 
> rid of the
> maladjusted animal.
>
> James
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