Chat
06-20-2014, 06:51 AM
Actually, I think the little elf ears are adorable if impractical. My goat mentor raises LaManchas, and they're a neat breed. Only problem is, they're really hard to hang onto because halters and collars both tend to slip over their heads if they pull back, and there's no back-up of grabbing onto a flying ear if they try to charge past you. The ear squeeze is my go-to restraint for Cuzco when he's being naughty (stops him like a statue), and you can't beat it for making them cooperate for things like drenching. These big ears are also really fun to scratch. 
My goats were penned next to my friend's LaManchas at State Fair last year, and the #1 question from the public was, "Why would anyone cut off a goat's ears??" I sometimes told them that my goats ate them off, but people were always a good bit relieved when I assured them that these goats were born that way and no one abused them. I wonder how many ignorant people stormed out of the goat barn in disgust because they didn't bother to ask. I'm sure this is one of those things the PETA crowd would love to run with: "Cruel goat owners cut off goats' ears and eat them as a low-fat alternative to pork rinds!"
My goats were penned next to my friend's LaManchas at State Fair last year, and the #1 question from the public was, "Why would anyone cut off a goat's ears??" I sometimes told them that my goats ate them off, but people were always a good bit relieved when I assured them that these goats were born that way and no one abused them. I wonder how many ignorant people stormed out of the goat barn in disgust because they didn't bother to ask. I'm sure this is one of those things the PETA crowd would love to run with: "Cruel goat owners cut off goats' ears and eat them as a low-fat alternative to pork rinds!"