Judas goat

For other uses, see Judas goat (disambiguation).

A Judas goat is a trained goat used in general animal herding. The Judas goat is trained to associate with sheep or cattle, leading them to a specific destination. In stockyards, a Judas goat will lead sheep to slaughter[1] while its own life is spared. Judas goats are also used to lead other animals to specific pens and onto trucks. They have fallen out of use in recent times,[2] but can still be found in various smaller slaughterhouses in some parts of the world, as well as conservation projects.[3]

Cattle herders may use a Judas steer to serve the same purpose as a Judas goat. The technique, and the term, originated from cattle drives in the United States in the 1800s.[4][5]

The term is a reference to Judas Iscariot, an apostle of Jesus Christ who betrayed Jesus according to the New Testament.

  1. ^ Dockter, Mason (31 March 2018). "Untold story of the Stockyards: Judas goats". Sioux City Journal. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  2. ^ "Whatever Happened to the Judas Goats? | Ambrook Research". Ambrook. 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  3. ^ "Eliminating Goats and Donkeys from Isabela, the Largest Galapagos Island". Galapagos Conservancy, Inc. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  4. ^ Popik, Barry. "Entry from January 02, 2007 Judas Steer". Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  5. ^ Jeffrey Kacirk (2005). Informal English: Puncture Ladies, Egg Harbors, Mississippi Marbles, and Other Curious Words and Phrases of North America. Simon and Schuster. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-7432-7195-0.