| Does: | 118 |
| Bucks: | 21 |
| Wethers: | 2 |
| Kids: | 0 |
| Total: | 141 |
What is hoof trimming?
Goats feet are like human fingernails and toenails; they do not stop growing. Without proper care the hoofs become a mangled mess, can be uncomfortable for the goat and can lead to other problems. Hoof trimming is equivalent to humans using nail clippers. It is the act of trimming the hoofs of the goats so the goat is comfortable walking. Keeping goats hooves trimmed can actually make breeding more successful, since they will be able to have a better grip on the ground with their nicely trimmed hoofs.
What we learned.
Most people recommend you trim the hooves of your goats at least every 6 months; however, the more often you are able to trim them, the better off you will be. We came up with a schedule which seems to work the best for us at this time. We trim the hooves when they go in for breeding, then again when they kid. It works out to about 5 to 7 months apart. This breaks the heard into smaller more manageable groups.
The best tool we have found for this besides good sharp shears is the tilt talbe with a drop away floor. It takes the goats a couple of times going through it for them to get used to being on their side and to stop kicking.
If you happen to cause bleeding, don't panic. All you need to do is put some iodine and/or blood stopping powder on the wound, cover it with a cotton ball, then wrap it with 2" vet wrap (you can get it at any farm store). It is flexible, self clinging and after a few days it will fall off on its own. Don't wrap it too tight where you cut off the blood flow to the foot, but not so loose it falls off before the first few steps.
Below are some links with pictures of what is good and bad on a foot as well as a chart on how to work through the process.
Other information on hoof trimming.
Below are links to other sites with information of hoof trimming. These links will open in a new window.