A Judas goat is a trained goat used in animal herding. Judas goats are trained to associate with sheep or cattle and lead 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. Both the term and the technique itself 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 as told in the New Testament of the Bible.[6]
- ^ 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.
- ^ Ulu-Lani Boyanton, Megan (2023-08-10). "Whatever Happened to the Judas Goats?". Ambrook Research. Archived from the original on 2024-12-20. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Popik, Barry. "Entry from January 02, 2007 Judas Steer". Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Luke 22 New International Version". https://www.biblegateway.com. Harper Collins Christian Publishing, Inc. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
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