Goats can sometimes be hard animals to figure out. While they are certainly fun and interesting to have around, they have some strange behaviors that leave you scratching your head. From rolling around in mud to drinking their own pee, it might seem like goats like to do weird things for fun. In today’s article, we are going to discuss one of a goat’s more aggressive behaviors: headbutting. 

If you have ever been unfortunate enough to have been headbutted by a goat, you are probably wondering why goats display this behavior. You are also probably wondering why your goat decided to headbutt you and not another goat.

Why do goats headbutt me?

The main reason goats headbutt people is to assert dominance, get attention, and display aggression.

Assert dominance

When goats lived in the wild, it was very common for 1 or 2 goats to become the leader of the pack. This was beneficial for all the goats, as the herd mentality naturally works best when they are being led by someone. Although goats no longer need a leader to ensure their survival, it is still in their instincts to have a leader. A goat may want to assert its dominance by headbutting you in order to show that they are strong and fit to lead the other goats. They might view you as competition since you provide the goats with food and other resources. If this behavior persists, you might want to move the headbutting goat to a different part of the pasture.

Get attention

Another common reason goats will headbutt you is if they are bored and want your attention. This is very common in goats that live on a farm where there are not a lot of other goats or animals. This is usually a playful headbutt, and is in no way meant to be aggressive or threatening. It is similar to when a cat or dog will rub up against your leg when they want to play with you.

Aggression

Goats will also headbutt you and other goats when they are anxious or feeling aggressive. The goat might view you as a threat, and its natural response is to headbutt you. This is common for goats that are newly introduced to a pasture. It is also common for goats to headbutt people who are strangers to them.

How to stop a goat from headbutting you?

The best way to stop a goat form headbutting you is to give them more land and pasture to roam around in. This will help curb their boredom and give them something else to do and explore. Another idea is to get more goats so that they have friends to play with. If you already have a lot of goats, they may be overcrowded which is causing this aggressive behavior. You should trying giving the goats more of their own space to roam around, and you can also remove the aggressive goats to a new pasture if they continue to cause a problem. Lastly, you can also dehorn goats when they are young so that their headbutting isn’t as painful or dangerous.