The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: maddy on April 16, 2015, 08:02:17 am
-
I have taken on an older boer goat from an elderly neighbour. She has very overgrown feet to the extent that the hoof has bent over to form one hoof if this makes sense. The hoof is so hard it is impossible to use my trimmers. Where do I start. I will try to get a photo of her.
-
1st thing don't stress, then get a photo / photos up and plenty of advice will be available ! But it may involve calling in a professional !
-
I find horse hoof nippers handy where standard secateer style trimmers fail.
-
The only problem with horse hoof nippers is that in the wrong hands they are dangerous and with such long feet the safe boundaries for trimming become much less visible !
-
As they are so hard I suggest she needs to stand in a foot bath or something or wait until you get a wet day and let her stand on wet grass. Then I would try cutting a bit off at a time - difficult to say where to start with no pictures but if you do a bit at a time there then you should make progress.
-
Again, don't panic. Unless you show your goat you can take your time to get her feet better trimmed, and I wouldn't worry too much if they are a bit overgrown - as long as it doesn't cause her discomfort or she starts to stretch her pasterns by standing on her heel.
Get her feet damp - wet grass, or better give her a bath (on a warm day), and make a first start on her feet then - they should be quite soft then and any dried mud/muck etc comes away easily helping you see where to cut. Also maybe have someone helping you. Goat needs to be rugged with an extra towel under her coat and preferably stabled until completely dry.
I fine the smaller lamb size footclippers better in my hand. And yes a little at a time will do. She may well object to the pedicure if she is not used to it...
If she has any other problems - like lice, worms etc - I would deal with them first.
-
Anke how do you get them off their heels? I t bought I'd cracked it but feet have gone haywire after kidding. They were bad when I bought my girls and I trim so everything is flush but my Togg is always tipped back on her back leg heels.
-
Anke how do you get them off their heels?
with difficulty.... esp hind feet... as they always stand up on the side of their pens and check out what's happening and it seems to be the BT's that are more of a problem with this, GG's are fine!
So no real answer, just keeping at it. Normally ok during summer - I have shows regularly enough to keep on top of it, but usually slips during winter and in the last few weeks before kidding...
-
Hi Maddy, I've had exactly the same problem with 5 goats bought in August plus footrot! Finally getting it sorted, I bought some ridiculously expensive Felco shears and a surform. The surform is the thing that really makes the difference,(about£10) shaves off millimetres at a time to get a really good flat surface. I looked at many You tube videos to learn how to therapeutically shape the hoof to improve their posture. It's made an amazing difference to their behavior and " Joie de vivre".
-
Batman are there any particular you tube videos you would recommend as there are so many out there