The Steps of Goat Aggression

[Erikthviking]

Keeping his distance is actually good progress. Pain to be avoided is still something learned. He needs to learn that hitting people is painful! A hot stove is an inanimate object. It harbors no ill will toward anyone. Yet we all learn as children that we must respect it and not put our hands on it, either on purpose or even by accident because the stove does not care. It will burn us regardless of our intentions. When a child first gets burned they might stay as far from the stove as possible for a while until they realize that it's not going to jump out and burn them for no reason. In fact, it's a great thing to cozy up to, but it still has to be respected for the hot object it is. 

Any stout fencepost or a barn wall will do for tying your goat up. He should only be tied when you're there, such as at feeding times or if you're working in the barnyard. You can also tie him up and trim his hooves. I would probably work with his hooves whether he needed a trim or not just to drive home the point that I'm in charge and can handle him as I please. My favorite halters are the Sopris X: https://www.soprisunlimited.com/halters
A big goat like yours would probably wear a size 6. They're not cheap, but they'll last a lifetime and unlike other goat halters, these actually fit.

A halter and a stout rope tied to a fencepost or a ring in the wall of the shelter should do the trick. He'll probably rear up and act crazy at first, but oh well. It's unlikely that he'll actually hurt himself, but keep an eye on him anyway just in case. When (not if) he hooks a leg over the rope and gets tangled, you should let him fight it for a while until he either figures out how to untangle himself or gives up fighting and looks defeated and helpless (or looks like he could injure himself, like if he wraps it around his neck). At that point, rescue him. It only takes a few times for the dumbest goat to figure out fighting doesn't work and that he needs to stand quietly or he'll get himself in trouble. It also leaves a good impression when you rescue them from being entangled. They start looking to you as a source of help.

Okay, I think I am past the point of jynxing myself now, so I will update. Since my last post, I have had no negative interactions with my buck. I still carry a baseball bat when I am in the pen with him, but I have only had to so much as point it at him one time and he immediately backed away. A couple of days ago started to come into the barn when I was in there, saw me, and rushed out of there as fast as he could. Another week or so, and I will reduce to carrying the riding crop. So far so good. Thank you for your help.

[Nanno]

Yay! I'm glad he's staying far away from your space and that he got the message that you're not to be messed with. Once he realizes that you aren't interested in harming him or competing with him, he should start being more comfortable coming near you without confronting you. He just needs to learn that balance.

Our boy Pest recently toppled my big king wether, Finn, from the top of the "goatem pole." I never saw them fight. It seems like Finn just didn't think his spot at the top was worth defending against a hormonal buck. Now that Pest is king of the herd for the first time, he's starting to stand up to me a bit more, as if he thinks there might be another rung to climb. I'm keeping an eye on his behavior. I hadn't carried the riding crop out with me in ages, but I brought it the other day as a reminder. Pest started pushing on the gate when I let him out that morning and when I tried to shoo him away he braced and presented his horns at me. I pinched his ear and instead of backing away, he clipped my hand with his horn. I chased him around a bit but his hackles were up and he didn't look very submissive so I brought the riding crop out with me when I did chores that evening. Pest immediately remembered it, backed down, and hasn't given me any more trouble these last few times we've interacted. I don't think I even had to touch him with it. I'm keeping our interactions to a minimum so he doesn't get any ideas. Friendliness so quickly leads to dominance in bucks! It's unfortunate that they're wired that way, but I have to respect that it's how nature made them.