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To: cva66snipe
We didn't dehorn our Angora's. The females have horns that grow up and back, the males horns grow out to the side.

Our main breeder had horns that from point to point was (I keep forgetting) either 44 or 46 inches. He couldn't get in one of the barn doors unless he tilted his head. But they were only nasty during breeding season. Could do you some damage during that time.

Only had one go after me, it was his first breeding season and I had him in a back pen with 3 young doe's and made the mistake of walking back there without watching him. He pasted me to the wall, but saw him coming and was able to back up almost to the wall before he hit me and I was also able to grab the horns and slow down his attack. I got madder than him and he got thrown out of the back barn door, adrenalin is a wonderful thing. If he would have been my big breeder, I would have been in a world of hurt.

That guy and his doe's were in another barn with access to the larger pasture. I never went into that pasture without checking out where he was first, but after breeding he was fine. It took both me and my husband to take him down for hoof trimming.

Most of them I could do myself. We had several wethers that it also took 2 of us to take down. Does, yearling bucks were easy for a woman to handle.

Shearing was an interesting time, we had professionals do that and friends came to help and we went to their farm when the shearer was there.

52 posted on 11/12/2011 9:02:47 AM PST by goat granny
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To: goat granny
The Nanny's were more violent than my Billy when it came too the herd. I'd hear a loud thud in their shed where a goat had been slung against the wall and sure enough one would be dead usually a yearling.

The Billy I handled by about once a month grabbing his horns and pulling his head to the ground till he bleated. It somewhat calmed his attitude. But whenever he would follow and get too close I kept a stick or hammer handle with me to rattle his horns a wee bit. LOL He didn't like that at all.

I did have one way of getting the herds entire undivided attention and that was rattling a pack of crackers. Very handy for calling them in or moving them from lot too lot.

55 posted on 11/12/2011 9:49:48 AM PST by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
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