# tennis balls



## Jdyson (Jul 20, 2011)

I was wondering, I have seen tennis balls on goat horns and was wondering how you keep them on there. If anyone has an idea, let me know. onder:


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

I have never done it, but I heard of people using duct tape.
also maybe gorilla glue will work loooonnnng term.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

We tried duct taping them. It aint easy casue they dont stay on, hope someone else has some ideas for you.
If it's to keep head out of fence a broomstick works great, but if it's to cushion a bully's horns you could also try garden hose, in one piece from one horn to the other.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh.. makes me laugh so hard. We brought a newer doe into the herd. Big horned thing and also became a mean momma to the other goats that would even come near her babies. Yes, she had to have the tennis balls. At first they stayed on very well. She felt like she was being crowned with some sort of a dignified trophy when we would put these on her. When one would fall off, she would actually dip her head down and hold still for me to put it back on and then trot off looking quite proud of herself as if she was really something special to be wearing these. About the time they wore down and quit staying on, she had calmed down to not be a meany as much. I don't know how to make them stay but do start with as tiny of a slit that you can in the ball to slip over horn. They should stay for a while that way.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

I think you have to buy the dog toy kind that are harder and thicker rubber. They lasted longer than the cheaper ones.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

oops didnt mean to add two of the same photos. oops sorry.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Packhill she looks SO funny! When we put them on ours she looked so goofy we just laughed & laughed. 
But a trophy?? :laugh:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I tried doing the tennis balls too...my Bootsie has 14 inch spikes that go straight up...no curve back to them at all, they never stayed on because she would find a tree and turn her headto stick one horn then the other through a "y" in the trunk and pull those balls off! :laugh: Smarty pants even opens gates with them...which is why I went to using duct tape...wrapped around the top 1/4 of her horns and folded over the tips, she's not aggressive but at random times has caught a hind leg of a passing doe between her horns...this way she can't do it.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh my Liz, that's funny. Good idea to use the duct tape.


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

:ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL: 

haha never seen or heard of putting tennis balls on goats horns...good idea if they would stay lol


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Maybe I should do that for my buck! He has a very long, straight up and down dagger of a scurs. I hate it. He'd be so much more handsome without it!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:laugh: I love it.......... :greengrin:


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Well I couldn't get tennis balls to stay on either. But this works great for me.

















Its just a stick taped on the front of her horns. Gorilla tape keeps them on for at least a month and believe me she is rough with her horns. It also keeps her from getting a younger goats head stuck in her horns and possibly breaking a neck.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh my .. oh now those are some horns.


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## ndgoatkeeper (Jan 22, 2011)

We had to put tennis balls on the horns of a rescue goat named Twinkle Toes that joined our Nigerian herd in 2010. We used miniature dog toy tennis balls that we put on with duct tape. None of the rest of our goats have horns, so we kept the tennis balls on for a couple of months until we were sure she wouldn't hurt the other goats. You can read Twinkie's story and see pictures on our web site at this link http://www.weberwoodacres.com/id31.html


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## Jdyson (Jul 20, 2011)

Well, my boy is a nigerian and the smallest of the 3 and he thinks he is the biggest until a cat comes in, lol. Then he is the biggest chicken, but I just don't want him to accidentally hurt one of the others. I think it would be great to do this. Thank you :grouphug:


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## Hidden Waters Farm (Oct 3, 2010)

I semi-recently received an Alpine doe with horns, I was told that she did not get along well with small goats. Ok fine, So I put her in with a few of my larger adult does who happen to be bigger than her but do not have horns and she attempted to beat them all to death. So we separated her obviously. After a day or so I decided that she was not going to take up all the space of the shelter she was in so I banded her horns. I may have put tennis balls on her horns, but she didn't use the tips, she used her head and the length of her horns to bash with. Now, the doe is 1-2 yrs old. I'd say her horns are are long and big for her age, but I banded her anyways - she was free so no loss right? JK, I really like her but she cannot be along for the rest of her life so it was worth the risk. The bands are not visible without parting her hair. Shes had them on for 3 weeks now. 

So if the tennis balls don't work for you, I'd recommend banding them.


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