[TheForge] OT: Goats and Uisge

[Jerry Frost]

No Andy, beating him won't work even on a doe let alone a rutting buck goat. 
What you should've done is follow our suggestions some years ago when you 
got him. He's still young and can probably be rehabbed if you do it right.

Think a squeeze bottle with vinegar and water for when he gets pushy. Trying 
to take a club to him is playing His game by HIS rules and his instincts 
tell him, "Game ON." Our bucks weigh in the neighborhood of 55-60lbs. and 
can cripple you with one casual butt and if they wanted kill you with a 
second once you were on the ground. Dehorning works if you do it early, we 
disbud ours as soon as the buds start to develop. Their skull between their 
horns have had a few million years to evolve into full speed head-on 
conflict resolution no worse for wear. Think about it, two animals running 
in the 30mph neighborhood ramming head on with enough force both leave the 
ground and what they do afterwards? Back up and do it again a few more 
times. Just what do you think you're going to do to one with a 2x4? I'll 
tell you what, challenge him and not in a way you might win unless you're 
using a sharp pick or ax.

A shot of vinegar on the other hand will get him no matter what, closed 
eyes, pinched nostrils and clenched lips and the vinegar will get through. 
If a 50/50 mix isn't strong enough up it, it isn't going to injure him 
unless you marinate him in it.

Shoot Deb an E-mail with your general location and she'll be able to put you 
in contact with serious goat people as opposed to farmers with a couple. If 
you think it can be hard to control one, you aught to take a slash at 
controlling a couple hundred during the rut. Right now our gentle love bug 
boys are in the rut and you MUST keep your eyes open in their pen. They have 
zero bad intents towards us but they can still do a person a mischief in a 
heartbeat.

Glad you weren't seriously injured and hope you can get a handle on the boy. 
If he is becoming aggressive towards humans it's unlikely you'll find 
someone to adopt him if they know and pretty unethical to adopt him out 
without telling them he's dangerous. Were he ours he'd be in the freezer.

Jer
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Vida" <osan at netlabs.net>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 12:30 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] OT: Goats and Uisge


>
>
> Larry Brown wrote:
>> Andy
>> I don't think Ed is your friend anymore.
>
> YOu think?  He's 200# and now has an attitude.  I used to be able to
> intimidate him into behaving almost properly, but as he has gotten older
> (now 3+) he has come into his own, so to speak, and no longer
> fears/respects me.  Once he started in with trying to hook me, I started
> in with beating the motherfucker with a 2x4 or one of my 20# digging
> bars.  I should have just let things alone, but for whatever reason that
> behavior got me boiling mad.  He almost took my right eye out back in
> June or July.  Orbit still hurts a little where the horn hit.  Dunno if
> he was trying to hurt me then or just being playful, but the behavior
> has just gotten worse by the week, so he has to go.  Much as I hate him
> at times, I still don't want him to have a bad fate.  A good home with
> plenty of girls to chase.
>