The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: lizzypeg on December 30, 2012, 04:59:52 pm
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we got 4 pygmy wethers as pets a few months ago.they are all fine.im a vet nurse for small animals so have vaccinated then, trim feet as need to ,etc..
but they are spending a lot of time out of there house in day in muddy pen/field...they chose to come out as house open so can go in when want to...but iv noticed they are getting a lot of mud stuck between toes that is pushing the toes apart....im guessing even though no one is lame that this must make walking uncomfortable as toes seem to me to be pushed further apart that were in autumn before the mud started compacting in there feet...will this harm them or cause feet to grow wrong and what can i do to stop it...
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My bigger goats were doing same and entrance round shelter is ankle deep in mud now. Eventually they started going lame and hate going rough it. As we were putting up another shelter next to it I decided enough was enough and they are shut in until I can get them sound and make a dry path for them.
I'm a newbie too but you could wash out mud in evening if shutting in and maybe give occasional spray with foot spray to protect.
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To be honest, though it isn't very nice, it doesn't cause them too many problems and the mud breaks out every now and then. It certainly doesn't cause their feet to grow wrong. If you watch them walk, on certain types of ground, the two parts of their feet splay out quite far naturally.
What can happen though is that the skin between the two part of the hoof gets soft and then attacked by a bacteria causing scald. This is sore and they'll limp. It just needs spraying with Terramycin foot spray.
They will thank you though, for whatever you can do to provide a dry path. Some folk use bark chippings - temporary, some use that carpark plastic grid and put stone chips in it, some use paving slabs.
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Totally agree with all Jaykay said - I managed a goat shed upgrade this year and they now have a 1.2 deep timber deck running the length of the goats building in an L shape past the dog kennel and they love it - wide enough to pass each other although the girls are very pregnant and enough space that everyone can have a spot to chill.
We did the same with pallets with sheeting on top which lasted a couple of years - not to expensive and did the job.
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Totally agree with all Jaykay said - I managed a goat shed upgrade this year and they now have a 1.2 deep timber deck running the length of the goats building in an L shape past the dog kennel and they love it - wide enough to pass each other although the girls are very pregnant and enough space that everyone can have a spot to chill.
We did the same with pallets with sheeting on top which lasted a couple of years - not to expensive and did the job.
Good idea I have some pallets that will keep them out of the mud