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From B.A., large-animal vet: I’ve been a duct tape believer ever since I had a cow tear her bag on a bob wire fence. It was a ghastly gash. She was in pain and frightened. There was no way I could close the wound until … I began wrapping her with duct tape. I started just behind the elbow and started circling her girth, then her ribs and her flanks with duct tape. I eventually was able to wrap the bag, leaving the four teats and tail poking out. Six months later, the tape fell off and she was cured.
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From F.W., horseshoer: One afternoon I had been called to shoe a miniature horse. I was expecting one in the St. Bernard-Great Dane class, but this one was not much bigger than a medium housecat. I built to the task and was bent over the hind leg when my nipper slipped. I had accidently trimmed the hoof clear off at the hock. I panicked until … I remembered the roll of duct tape I always keep in my watch pocket. Using two 1/4-by-4-inch bolts, I splinted the leg back together and wrapped it with duct tape. Each week, I added another 12 to 15 feet of duct tape. Two months later, it seems to be working – although he’s still walking funny.
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From D.W., poultry pathologist: Doing surgery on chickens is uncommon. Whenever I saw a chicken, he was usually dead. And yet many suffered from ingrown feathers. Many polloqueros (chicken cowboys from Mexico) spent hours each day gently plucking the ingrown feathers from afflicted hens. One afternoon, I was helping and happened to drop a chicken on a strip of duct tape I had circled around my feet to stave off fire ants. When I picked up the chicken, her brisket was plucked clean. Inspired, the polloqueros completely wrapped me with duct tape, sticky side out, and slapped the chicken’s afflicted area containing the ingrown feathers against my body. This technique has since been adopted to de-claw cats and in beauty shops as a depilatory.
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From Y.K., team roper: I used to carry rawhide, latigo, hole punchers, awls, Chicago screws, harness buckles, rubber wraps, bell boots, super glue, baby powder, rivets, snaps, curb chains and fencing pliers in my emergency box. Now all I carry is duct tape. I’ve used it to repair broken cinches, lengthen reins, rebuild hondos, plait manes, wrap horns, tie on, dress wounds, plug bloody noses and replace thumbs. I now wear chinks made out of duct tape, have padded my saddle with duct tape and braided a nice hat band with duct tape. Today, I have covered my pickup with duct tape and written “Born to Rope” in duct tape on the side of my trailer. I’m ready and lookin’ for a header. Just call 1-800-DuckTape.
