One of the regular or routine maintenance things you will need to do in order to keep your goats happy and healthy is to trim your goats hooves.
Goat hoof trimming describes how to properly trim goat hooves and provides illustrations showing what proper and improper trimming looks like.
Overgrown goat hoof issues are a big problem for goats. It's unlikely that you will always keep up with hoof trimming. Life gets busy, bad weather occurs,
One of the regular or routine maintenance things you will need to do in order to keep your goats happy and healthy is to trim your goats hooves.
Ideal for daily hooves trimming for sheep, goat, alpaca, pig, cow horse etc, also used for small twig, flower, small plant pruning, wire cutting, for used on farm, garden and home The trimming shears has high hardness and wear resistance, a serrated blade, helps grip onto the hoof so it doesn’t slip, allows you to get better, stronger cuts Spring inside, faster open and close, allowing for quicker work Grippy handle with wrist rubble strap, ensure you hold up well 2" blade length are the right size for most job and switch lock for safety operate
Trimming the hooves is very important for your goat's health. This is not an article on the reasons why (Though perhaps one will be coming in the future) but rather a tutorial on how. Hoof trimming can be tricky or intimidating for new goat owners. Here is a basic tutorial I put together for any of you who are unsure, or just would like some ideas and pointers. Some goat's hooves grow faster than others and will need to be trimmed more frequently. The terrain your goats live on will also effect the frequency the hooves will need to be trimmed, if they have rocks and logs they can jump on it will keep them warn down fairly well. I let mine go to a little long between trims this time so they are rather overgrown - sorry Girls! The density of the hoof will also vary among goats. some will have thick hoof walls that are difficult to cut through, while others can be very soft. The quick (where the nerves and blood is) can also be different, especially among goats of varying ages. My young does' quick was closer to the surface than my older does and I, twice, accidentally cut too far. Don't worry if you do cut down to the quick. While it does hurt them a little, the pain is minimal and the bleeding will stop quickly. The blood can be a little messy, however, and if you do want to get the bleeding to stop quickly, so you can finish the job, you can apply a livestock blood stop powder. I have also used corn starch, which words fairly well. If you're worried about the cut getting dirty you can spray fightback or iodine onto it after you've finished. The easiest way to keep the goats still while trimming is to have a milk stand with grain - a dog grooming stand works well too - but if you're goats are not dairy goats then you may not have a milking stand. You can also try tying them to something. Or, if your goats are small enough, you can have someone stand over them, holding their neck between their legs. I've done this a number of times and it works well. Some goats will kick around a lot, refuse to stand still and will need multiple people to hold them still. (I have also heard holding them upside down helps, I have not personally tried this and would look further into it before doing so.) For me, personally, I have found ways of holding the legs that seems to work well. For the back legs, I stand with my shoulder to the goats belly, facing the back of the stand. I tuck the hock (The back joint) under my armpit holding the hoof with that same arm and trimming with the other. For the front legs I turn around to face the front of the goat and rest my elbow against the doe's girth (Behind the front legs) and bend the leg at the knee, supporting the lowest part of the leg in the same hand and trimming with the opposite hand. In the pictures I am not doing what I have just suggested as I had to be out of the way for my brother to take pictures. I use clippers and a horse's hoof pick (as pictured) Before trimming \ Step 1: Clean the hoof with the hoof pick, using the brush to clean off any extra dirt. Step 2, First cut Step 2: Your first cut will be across the toe. Don't cut too far, as it can be difficult to tell where the heel meets the wall. You can trim it to be level after. For now you just want to clear an easy way for you to cut down the walls. Step 3: Cutting the wall. Use the opening you made (by cutting the toe) to get at the walls of the hoof. Cut them down to the heel, making the edges level with the sole. Start with cutting short pieces, you can always cut more if it's not short enough. Step 3: Cutting the walls Step 3: Cutting the walls Step 3: Cutting the walls Step 4: You'll then want to cut the heel. Don't cut the heel as far down as the sole, you want a little of a bump. Cutting the heel Right heel cut Now the other side Step 5: To finish it off, just trim any unevenness on the edges and round off the toe, trimming away any excess you may have missed in the initial cut. You want the walls and the toe to be level and even with the sole. Cleaning the edges. Rounding the toe. The finished product: There, now only three more to go! My finished hoof doesn't look very clean, but it'll do. If you're unhappy with the roughness, or unevenness, you can take a small file to clean it up. I hope this is helpful and as clear as it can be. If you have any questions please contact me and I'll help you best as I can. The finished hoof Thank you Gus, my photographer! And thank you Pippi, my beautiful, patent model!
Overgrown goat hoof issues are a big problem for goats. It's unlikely that you will always keep up with hoof trimming. Life gets busy, bad weather occurs,
Trimming the hooves is very important for your goat's health. This is not an article on the reasons why (Though perhaps one will be coming ...
Trimming the hooves is very important for your goat's health. This is not an article on the reasons why (Though perhaps one will be coming ...
Learn how to properly trim goat hooves and avoid problems like hoof rot and foot scald.
One of the regular or routine maintenance things you will need to do in order to keep your goats happy and healthy is to trim your goats hooves.
The Nigerian Dwarf goat is an American miniature breed developed for small-scale dairy production and companionship.
Today was goat hoof trimming day. We try to ensure that we do this at least every six weeks. As I am sure you can imagine this is no easy task. The actual trimming is not really the difficult part, but it is an art form and takes a great amount of practice to do it well. The difficult part is convincing the goat that they really do need this done. The way that we handle this is to put each goat on the milk stand and give them a bit of grain, this will keep them busy long enough to trim at least one hoof, but maybe two if you are lucky and quick about it. We are not usually lucky. My job is to soothe the goat and hold the light while my husband does the real work. He has to hold the foot up while trimming. Naturally the goat does not like this too much. Most of our goats are used to having this done so there is less fighting then there used to be. There is an art to trimming hooves however. It is important to trim them accurately to ensure that the goat walks on the hoof correctly. You will need a good pair of hoof sheers. Online you can purchase a good pair that are relatively inexpensive. Above is a photo of a pair found on the Valley Vet site. They can be found on several different sites as well. Jeffers and Hoeggers both carry them. We also find it helpful to use a hoof pic and a hoof knife. Above is a photo that shows a good idea of what hooves should look like. I did not think to take photos while the process was happening. I was too busy ensuring everyone was on their best behavior. Anyone who has goats know that in itself is a full time job. But we did get our task completed and before any of the girls decided to have babies too. We have a total of 9 goats who all have nice trimmed hooves after today.
The Nigerian Dwarf goat is an American miniature breed developed for small-scale dairy production and companionship.
Trimming our goats' hooves is not always fun, but it is necessary to keep healthy, happy goats. Regular hoof trimming can keep any issues like hoof rot from causing serious damage. It is important to both back-yard goat enthusiasts and the experienced goat keeper to practice proper hoof maintenance. The only way to get better at trimming goat hooves is to practice hoof trimming regularly, so let's get to it! Ready? This kid is, are you? 1) Preparation is key! -If you aren't sure if you have the tools for the job, check out one of my previous posts to get everything you need! -Have what you need easily accessible.We make sure to wear clothes with pockets large enough for the tools we are using, but a hoof trimmer holster or even a bucket will make sure you don't lose tools in the shavings. -Don't be a hero! Ask for help when you need it. Goats won't kick like a horse of cow, put they can knock the hoof trimmer from your hand or escape from the stand. Your goat doesn't mean to be difficult, but disrupting their routines can make them nervous and excitable. -Wear the appropriate gear! Remember, goats are large, have horns and weigh a ton (not literally). Our goat Ace stepped on my sister's foot yesterday and it's horribly discolored and bruised today. It might not have been so bad if she was wearing boots instead of flip flops! -Create a calendar of routine care and maintenance. We track when kids are born, when shots need to be given, and basic hoof care. Use a calendar as a guideline, not as a hard and fast appointment. We don't trim hooves when does are heavily pregnant with a kid which means they get off schedule. Just pick back up once the kids are a few weeks old and the mom is comfortable. 2) Have a Plan of Action -Is this the first time you've trimmed your goat's hooves? Are they easily startled? Then it's probably best that you trim in a stand. -However, when cutting new moms Honey & Delilah's hooves, we made sure to do what kept them comfortable. Putting Honey on a trimming stand away from her kids would have been more stressful for everyone involved. Instead, we kept her in the pen and off the stand. While it was more work for us, and we got up close and personal with the unmistakably foul odor of hooves, it kept the kids from crying and Honey from panicking. No one wants to have angry momma goats after them! The kids are still too young to have their hooves trimmed. -Know which goats you plan to work on, and allow a reasonable amount of time. If you get behind, instead of rushing to finish trimming all of your goats' hooves just plan to finish up on another day. It's far worse to rush through a job then to put it off for another day. 3) Clean hooves & Shave hair -By cleaning the goat's hooves first, small lines become visible that give the person trimming a guide of where to cut, and how much to cut. -To make it easier to see, trim the hair around the front feet. This strategy has the bonus of giving the appearance of the clean/neat hooves without doing much work yet! When taking a goat to fair, goat hooves have to be cleaned, trimmed and shaved. 4) Start Trimming Image Courtesy of Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats: Managing, Breeding, Marketing by Maggie Sayer -The hoof trimmer we use cuts quickly and through a lot of the nail. While this is a positive, don't go crazy cutting! Follow the lines of the hoof with your hoof trimmers to make sure you aren't cutting too much off at once. -If the nail bleeds, don't panic! Stop the bleeding, level off the hoof and move on to the next foot. Basic hoof care shouldn't cause bleeding, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have done something wrong. When in doubt, stop cutting. When it has been awhile since the last trimming, cutting off too much can be painful. Trimming changes the way a goat walks, so drastically changing can cause them to strain their joints. This is why having a schedule is so important! -Just like your own nails, goat hooves grow at different speeds. Delilah and Bella have very fast growing hooves that require more frequent trimming. A newborn kid doesn't need their hooves trimmed. Goats in dry pasture versus a wet stall will have harder, stronger nails. Wet pens can help create hoof rot (a bacteria that thrives in muddy ground and can cause lameness), so be aware! I hope this gives you a good place to start. Have questions? Comments? You can find me on Facebook, twitter or in the comments!
Goat hoof trimming describes how to properly trim goat hooves and provides illustrations showing what proper and improper trimming looks like.
Keeping the hooves on our goats trimmed is one thing I do very poorly. It doesn't get done near often enough. We have never had a case of hoof rot, but our goats would be much better off if their hooves were trimmed more often. Then again, so would I, because by the time I get around to it, it wouldn't be such a chore. That being said, here is a hoof trimming session. I started off with One Stripe because she will be kidding sometime in the next month, or so my guess-timate says. To trim the hooves, I bring the doe to the milk stand. This elevates the animal so I don't have to kneel down to reach their hooves. It also gives them a familiar place and some food to distract them while I work. Some of our does don't mind this as much as others. The first time I trimmed Copper's hooves she cried the whole time like I was torturing her. It was so loud, it was almost funny. In the past, we have used bypass pruning shears for this job. They work pretty well and aren't near as dangerous as regular hoof shears. I have difficulty holding them at the right angle to get a good cut, but it can be done quite successfully. Last year I bought some regular hoof shears. The first time I used them I thought they worked great! That is until I got to the last foot. The goat jerked her foot away, which they always do, and I cut my finger deeply. So much for that. I haven't used them since....until today. Needless to say, these shears work exceptionally well, but you have to be extremely careful or you will end up with a serious injury. If you are learning how to trim hooves the best thing you can do is find someone to teach you. Books are great and have some good drawings in them, but it is hard to get a feel for what you should do without watching it. You need to see what a hoof should look like after it is trimmed. This will give you something to shoot for. The base of the hoof should end up parallel with the top of the hoof where the hair starts, not slanted down at the front or curved up in the back. It is better to take off small pieces than a big chunk. You don't want to cut them too short and make them bleed. It's not a major problem if they do, but I always feel really bad when that happens. If it does, spray the hoof with iodine, and it will be fine. Do keep an eye on the goat for a day to two to make sure no complications occur. She is asking me if I am finished yet. One Stripe is very tame and easy to handle, but she is ready for me to quit lifting her feet up. One of the things we have discovered along the way is that it is easier to trim hooves when it has been raining or the ground is wet. The hooves are much more pliable then. I have tried trimming hooves in the summer when it is hot and dry and it was like trying to cut a rock. I had to give up and wait until wet weather came and softened them up some. It is bad enough that I grab her back feet, but I have never met a goat yet that likes to have their front feet lifted up. This is what happens, making it a little more difficult to get to her hoof. We always clip the goat's collar to the leash that is attached to the fence by the milk stand to help keep the goat in place. These hooves are pretty long. If I take care of them right, I should trim them again in a month or so to get them back in better shape. Then I can wait about three months before they will need attention again. Frank is stronger than I am and it is easier for him to trim the hooves. Another thing we have discovered is the goats are more at ease if I do the trimming. We figure it is because I milk them and handle them much more than he does, therefore they aren't as nervous or skittish. Just another observation. Sometimes the heel area will need to be trimmed and sometimes it won't. There are some goats that have a hard area grow in between the two hoof sections. It is difficult to get to and I am always worried about cutting them up between their 'toes'. It seems to run in families. One Stripe doesn't have that problem, but Ivory does and her mother Katie did. One Stripe is more than ready to be finished and so am I. This will hold her until after her kids are born. Did I tell you that I can't wait? That I love baby goats? I do! Here are a couple of sites that give pretty good explanations or depictions of how to trim hooves: Onion Creek Ranch and How To Trim a Goats Hooves for Dummies. I would recommend acquiring several 'goat books' if you have not already done so. There are several YouTube videos that you can watch about trimming hooves. I found a few where people lay the goat on it's back. This video shows some of the things I tried to explain. If you can find someone that will show you and give you a chance to practice, it would make it easier for you to learn. It will be nerve racking the first time you try it and you will make one of them bleed, but hopefully not yourself. This is one of those instances, kind of like milking, that takes practice to increase your skill and confidence. Trimming hooves is one of those chores that needs to be done regularly, not just sometimes when it is overdue. It's kind of like cutting your toenails. Sometimes you just keep putting it off and the next thing you know you have a hole in your sock. If there are things you know you need to prepare, don't keep putting them off. There may come a day when that last bit of preparing you did will keep you on your feet. But if you continue to put it off for another day, you may come up lame. Until next time - Fern
People will sometimes ask, "Can you make money raising goats?". You definitely can! In fact here are 13 ways you can make money raising goats.
