Taping balls onto ends of horns

jtdl · #1 04/15/10, 01:28 PM

I was just reading a thread about duct taping hoses/pipes between horns so they don't get stuck in the fence. I have a very ornery wether and I had wondered about duct taping sponge rubber balls onto the ends of his horns but thought it wasn't really a viable idea - but now I'm wondering if it might work! What do you think - is there a chance they might help with his "horning" us and the babies? Otherwise, he's gonna be separated for a long time, cause there's no way he can be left in a pen with them. I had him in a few days ago to see what his reaction would be. He was fine while I was in there with them, he acted as though he didn't even see them, but as soon as I left, went around the corner and watched, he went right after them!!!

suzyhomemaker09 · #2 04/15/10, 01:36 PM

I've seen mention of folks doing this with tennis balls...cut an X into it slip over the tip of the horn and apply duct tape liberally.

nehimama · #3 04/15/10, 02:05 PM

Apply duct tape VERY liberally!

wintrrwolf · #4 04/15/10, 02:19 PM

hmmm well I have dont this to Sugar
Taping balls onto ends of horns - Goats

give me a few and I will be willing to try the balls seriously have watched Sugar snag Crystal with her horns and am afraid she is going to accidentally hurt the baby. But I have also watched Sugar sharpening her horns on the concrete blocks of the house...now one horn is sharp with a split in the middle of the tip...I am not liking this at all

Thought about it again...think what you would need:
2 tennis balls with X cut in bottom
1 pr old nylon hosiery (legs cut off) or pr of knee highs (you get the idea)
roll of duct tape
goat holding person

insert tennis ball on tip of horn, place hosiery over Tennis ball pull down to horn, wrap duct tape around bottom of hosiery and horn...done! will probable have to keep an eye on the durability and make adjustments but in my mind it should work.

wintrrwolf · #5 04/15/10, 02:22 PM

Side thought can one dremel the ends of the horn to round them out and make them less dangerous?

**mygoat** · #6 04/15/10, 02:51 PM

Sounds like a dominance problem... Try knocking him over and sitting on him when he challenges you. Put him to live with bucks his own age, so that he's not going to have a chance to hurt babies. That'll also help in that wethers/bucks need a much less rich diet than does - he's at risk for getting UC when kept in with does eating alfalfa hay or getting grain.

Honestly, seems like a lot of work for an unruly and possibly dangerous goat. To me, a wether that was like this would be dinner. They're not 'worth' enough to 'deal' with them, IMO. In fact, a doe or a buck that otherwise I really liked would likely be destined for dinner if they did this too. I might just try to get sons/daughters out of them first, that I would disbud. Goats are a lot less likely to learn to butt you if they don't have horns, I've found - yet another reason I disbud.

jtdl · #7 04/15/10, 03:00 PM

He's a pet - not a meal, as are all of our goats! I have tried pinning him down - many times - it doesn't work. He is ok with the mama (before she had babies) and only showed his dominance at feeding time or when I was around. We don't have bucks. We got these babies from a doe who was in heat when we got her, or so the breeder thought, or we would never have had babies and things would have worked out fine. Now that we have the babies, we would never give them up so we have to find a way for them to all get along. If Moose has to be separated for 6 months, sobeit, but I'd rather get them together sooner than that. Hence the ball idea rather than the butchering knife!!!!

wintrrwolf · #8 04/15/10, 03:10 PM

there are going to be lessons to be learned while they decide the pecking order of the herd I honestly think it is harder for us to watch then on the goats themselves. Since he is a pet, I would definately try the ball thing there are still going to be butting issues but it would lessen the possible damage. I like the ball idea so will be doing it on my herd queen Sugar until I research other possible alternatives.

**mygoat** · #9 04/15/10, 07:09 PM

The ball ideal will work for the piercing motion that they use when tussling. But he can still kill kids when ramming and pinning them up against a wall, if he is truly vicious natured. My friend who has horned fainters, found her young (5 month) nubian buckling dead one day - trapped and rammed to death. He was by no means small or defenseless... but it can happen. However he was a new arrival and escaped from his pen into the main pen - and hence, was attacked.

Likely, though, he is just exhibiting normal pecking order behavior. Goats will constantly fight and chase each other. Sometimes when they ram each other it looks like it would HURT - but I've never had a bad injury from it. It annoys us owners but goats don't 'play nice' and certainly don't 'share'. LOL!

fols · #10 04/15/10, 09:36 PM

I read the title of the thread and figured that is one way to turn a buck into a wether!

Backfourty,MI. · #11 04/16/10, 05:39 AM

If he's truly mean or vicious to you & family, he'd be dinner. If he's doing it to the goats it's probly normal goat behavior. Still with the difference in size he could hurt the babies if he really wanted too.
I would try the garden hose or the tennis balls. Keep in mind to though that every time you seperate goats for even a few days there will be butting among them to re-establish the pecking order & that's normal. Like MyGoat said it's harder for us to watch but it's going to happen. If you seperate him by himself for 6 months by himself he may be really ornery after that.

jtdl · #12 04/16/10, 09:05 AM

I don't think he is mean or vicious. Like I said, he only bothered Clara at feeding time or when I was around - he seems to be "attached" to me and if anyone else comes around when I am with him - goat or human - he butts them or rears at them. Other than that, he is fine. He is a pygmy (mix I would say) but he is huge (sideways) - I would say at least 150 lbs. I had two big goats (that I had to give away because they were too big for our goat habitat) but before that, one of them became the dominant goat and Moose acted totally different. I am just concerned with him butting the babies. I think I will start letting him in with them while I am sitting out there - guess I can take a book out and read! - and hopefully he gets used to them and they learn to stay away from him. Right now they are curious and go up to him - also their mama doesn't keep them away from him. Guess I can only hope. I am going to try the balls though, at least that way he can't gouge them.

AuntKitty · #13 04/16/10, 09:18 AM

The woman I got my first 2 goats from told me to superglue the small size tennis balls that they sell for little dogs onto the horns. Would be very cute I think and he would look like a little alien. I haven't tried it so I don't know if he would be able to easily rub the tennis balls off.

Kitty