# Tipping goat horns?



## amook401 (Jul 18, 2011)

So show is coming up, and since my goats horns werent disbudded when she was little i have to tip them. The show is coming up in about 2 month, so i need to know the best way to do it?


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## Tolers Boers (Jul 4, 2011)

I see alot of goats being shown who have their horns. You mean u can't show your goat without cutting or tipping. what is tipping.

I am very curious as to why anyone would do that to a goat. take their horns away when they are little? it's terrible and painful from what i been told. but then i don't know what the diff between dis budding and de horning is but either one sounds awful. tipping? never saw it mentioned before.

I have rescued two nubians they have little nobbles where there horns should be. But i didn't do it. 

I also know that polled is a term meaning born hornless...I also rescued a cat they had de clawed all four feet and put it out that should be against the law. i would of reported them for animal neglect if they hadn't moved. the cat was defenseless.


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Tolers Boers said:


> I am very curious as to why anyone would do that to a goat. take their horns away when they are little? it's terrible and painful from what i been told. but then i don't know what the diff between dis budding and de horning is but either one sounds awful. tipping? never saw it mentioned before.


It really is not that bad. It seems horrible, but the goat is jumping around only sec after it is done! I have never heard if tipping a goats horn. Do you mean banding it?


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We tipped the end of my kids does horns, but I am not sure how much you 'have' to tip. We used their hoof trimmers and just cut the very tip off and make sure it wasn't sharp. Some goats have very sharp tips and they frown on that in the show ring w/kids especially -that's what I've been told anyway.
I plan to tip 2 does soon as they seem to have gotten sharper tips!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I believe that "tipping" means to take the sharp points off.....I've seen some smooth the tips with a dremel type tool while others saw the tip off.


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

I tipped Fancy's horns because she kept getting her head stuck. She's not very bright but is very sweet. Hubby says she rode on the short goat cart. :laugh: It didn't bother Fancy at all when I did it. Heck, she never even stopped chewing her cud.

Gina


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Hmm...never heard of tipping. :shrug:

What kind of goat are we talking about...dairy or meat? Dairy goats are not supposed to be shown in sanctioned shows, however, in non sanctioned shows or fairs...I think you're ok. You could band the horns...but they may or may not fall off by 2 months. Also, during fly season isn't the best time to band. You could have a vet surgically dehorn...but I don't really like that method and there are more risks involved.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> So show is coming up, and since my goats horns werent disbudded when she was little i have to tip them. The show is coming up in about 2 month, so i need to know the best way to do it?


This is a Doe?...usually at shows... Does don't need to be tipped or dehorned.....well... I never heard of a Doe... that had to be..... to show her...... 
What breed is she?



> I see alot of goats being shown who have their horns. You mean u can't show your goat without cutting or tipping. what is tipping.
> 
> I am very curious as to why anyone would do that to a goat. take their horns away when they are little? it's terrible and painful from what i been told. but then i don't know what the diff between dis budding and de horning is but either one sounds awful. tipping? never saw it mentioned before.
> 
> ...


I do agree with you... on taking horns...no matter the method .... but with some breeds and in some situations.... it is best to do so...Also... some breeders want them tipped...disbudded...dehorned ect...and I do respect them in their preferences but.... I am with you...won't do that to mine.... So you are not alone but... I will respect those who do...within good reason.... :hug:


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

In Maine you cannot show dairy goats in 4-H or open shows if they have horns. They must be disbudded. Removing the horns protects us, the humans, from getting accidentally speared. More importantly, it keeps your herd from using them on each other hen they start fussing over who's in charge.

I have a friend who let his Alpine wethers and his Nigerian doe keep their horns. They are still fairly young, but he regrets it. The wethers are growing into big boys and they can get aggressive with those horns when they don't like what "Daddy" wants them to do.

Disbudding young kids is much easier and more humane than trying trying to saw off or surgically remove the horns of an older goat. Please research well before you start trying to remove them!


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## dobe627 (Oct 16, 2007)

If by tipping you just want to take off an inch or so I would use bone wireI forget what its actually called. I think obstetric wire not sure. But its a piece of wire with 2 handles. I've used it on bigger scurs


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## Calico Patch Farm (Mar 8, 2011)

I've seen market goats that had bands around the horns (about and inch away from the end) to take off the tips. I'm not sure how long that would take to work though.


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## Tolers Boers (Jul 4, 2011)

okay i found somewhere it said to file them down but not to go to the tissue. just to file them to a blunt form in other words just get the point off. 
like filing fingernails some women want that straight across look some want a rounded shape etc. 

but it did say u could either file it or use a grinder but they make noise...i guess if i had to do that i would file it like fingernails.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I take the very tips off my goats horns so they are not sharp. I take a wire cutter snip it off and file it to a round point with a rasp. It takes a bit of force to get the cutters to cut but it works for me. I do not make my goats bleed but take off just enough so they are not a sharp point. If that's not what your talking about are you talking about the caps they put on fighting bulls horns?


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## WarPony (Jan 31, 2010)

xymenah said:


> If that's not what your talking about are you talking about the caps they put on fighting bulls horns?


I've seen pictures of driving goats from way back when with these and think it looks snazzy. I want to do something like this for my driving goat, but can't find anything like this already made. :-(


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## Tolers Boers (Jul 4, 2011)

so just real sharp clippers and nip em at the tips huh?


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Tolers Boers said:


> so just real sharp clippers and nip em at the tips huh?


If you take clippers like the plier type for trimming horse hoofs and nip the tip you shouldn't hit any blood vein. The blood vein usually only extends from the head out a few inches.


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## Chase it' Farms (Jul 26, 2011)

i learneed that tipping just means putting tennis balls on the end of their horns or something during shows


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Trim the point and tip...
http://northwestpackgoats.com/index.php ... ucts_id=36


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## Christina Smith (Jul 19, 2020)

Guys, tipping is taking the sharp point off of the horns so the ends are blunt. It’s not painful, but you have to be careful to not go too low, just take the point off, no more


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

This is a very old thread in case you didn't realize...


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