The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: NormandyMary on July 30, 2011, 04:38:06 pm
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I looked at my boys hooves this afternoon and I feel that they could now do with a little trim. They are not vastly overgrown, just curling over at the edges a little bit. As, to be honest I have no idea how to tackle this, I looked it up on YouTube, which had some excellent video, so I am now only very nervous as opposed to terrified!
On Monday, I will be getting the equipment (any advice on that one please) so Ill be having a go on Tuesday.
Do you lay your goats down? I dont have any restraining gear except my husband with an armful of tasty leaves, or do you grab them from behind?
More than anything, I dont want to harm or scare my boys. They tend to hold a grudge!!
Many thanks in advance,
Mary.
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I used to have the same restraining gear as you (husband) but now my 2 are quite happy to be anchored by their leads to the fence. a bit of browse material to keep them occupied and a biscuit to reward them at the end ;)
do you have any goat or sheep keepers nearby that could show you how to do it? Don't be scared and if they are only a little overgrown I think there are a few schools of thought about whether they should be done too often..
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so long as you have someone to hold the goat, then the trimming is fairly easy although hard on the back! - I wonder if they feel better after, it must be nice!
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and keep calm, be brave ... and don't worry if you don't succeed the first (or twenty-fourth!) time - our Geraldine absolutes hates it, its a case of half an hour of softening her up, then getting a quick snip in, before she goes mental!!
And this is after 2 years of spoiling her rotten!
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Hi,
I have just finished trimming some of our goats. We restrain them using a lead rope and collar and to tie them up against a wall / hurdle etc. As long as they are well handled they dont seem to mind it. I use lamb trimmers which need to be sharp. As the weather is now dry and hot their hooves have really hardened up and it can be hard going - especially when the others keep nibbling your bottom when you are bent over! I start at the heel end and cut towards the toe removing the excess outer wall. The heel should be trimmed flat - but it is very hard at the moment. If you see any pink then stop trimming as you have gone too far. If I accidentally trim too much of I cover with elastic plaster and spray with teramycin. Any dirt needs to be cleaned off and if there are any pockets where dirt can be trapped I have found these need to be cut away. I then finnish with a spray of purple violet or teramycin if there is any indication of rot etc.
I went on a 2 day goat care course before starting to keep goats. 2 1/2 years later I think I am now getting a lot better - so I think practice is the only way to learn. Good luck-I am sure any one near you would be willing to show you what to do - I am in East Yorks if that is any help
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Hi cuckoo. I actually live in France. I'd offer you a few days holiday in exchange for a trimming lesson, but we dont have a spare room at the moment!! Actually, the Youtube videos were very good, quite clear. Ill just have to make sure that I get the right cutting tool. My babies hooves are very small being pygmys and only 5 months old, plus I have very small hands so Ill have to shop around first. OH was threatening to use the Dremel on them, cheeky boy! It'd give them a nice finish though! Also I think they are not too bad because we have a pile of rocks in the middle of their pen which they both climb regularly. My husband read that this helps them to keep the hooves healthy.
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With my pygmy goats I pick them up and sit on a bench with them on my lap whilst OH trims their hooves. He trims both back legs and one front then turns her round to trim remaining front leg. This has worked well for them but AN different story! :)
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NormandyMary. us fellows like women with small hands, they make our danglies look big.
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I have had to do 70goats single handedly,either tie up or restrain with the same set up you use for them to put their heads through during milking(I used a pallet with one plank bolted at the bottom to swivel and hold the neck and tied or bolted once head in.)
just take off what you are comfortable with :)
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I used hubby as the restraint too :D The goats make far more fuss than the sheep but I think it's the indignity of being restrained that they object to :D As for the actual trimming, just snip off the curled under bits - only like cutting finger nails, won't hurt them - not that you'd think that from the noise my Ellie makes ::)
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You can get small clippers, (over here in UK though), they are called either the Myti-lite footshear, or the Blue-lite footshear, both sold under sheep categories. They work very well, I have never used anything else on my sheep or the goats. I use the Blue-lite on te goats (rounded tips).
And yes, mine hate it too, the large BT type is the worst....I do mine every 4 to 6 weeks over the summer and autumn, but stop usually at Xmas until after they have kidded. All the non-pregnant ladies are pedicured throughout the year!
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Hi NormandyMary,
Well a bit too far to come from France! I would get your goats used to having their feet picked up every day when you feed them - they will soon get used to it. As they are only pygmies then they shouldnt pose too much problems. I have just finnished the rest of my herd - only 13 in total - icluding my Boer billy rupert - but he kept wanting to lie down!
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You will need:
2 x Nubian Slaves, or better still, 2 real Pygmies.
1 x Length of Rope
1 x Long Bamboo Pole.
Method:
Tie the goats legs together then insert the pole, place one Pygmy under each end of the pole, this will present your goat at the correct hight for trimming all four feet without you having to bend down.
I tried this method with Amazons but they were a bit on the tall side (strapping gert wenches ), and the wife said I could not keep them .
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;D
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NormandyMary. us fellows like women with small hands, they make our danglies look big.
Cheeky!!!(or were you talking about your Pat Butcher earrings ;D)
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You will need:
2 x Nubian Slaves, or better still, 2 real Pygmies.
1 x Length of Rope
1 x Long Bamboo Pole.
Method:
Tie the goats legs together then insert the pole, place one Pygmy under each end of the pole, this will present your goat at the correct hight for trimming all four feet without you having to bend down.
I tried this method with Amazons but they were a bit on the tall side (strapping gert wenches ), and the wife said I could not keep them .
;D
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get a comfy pair of trimmers, iv 2 pairs, one is soo easy and the other pair are a pest and hurt ur hands.i find curved blades easier.