[ScotsGirl]

I have a young in kid goat who is sore on both back feet. I can't see any sign of scald or foreign body but have sprayed and trimmed. Problem is pinning her down. On my own she is quiet but still difficult to hold collar and check foot. With an assistant it is hilarious watching them being dragged round shelter. There must be an easier way.

[jaykay]

Do you have a milking stand?

If not, I'd tie her collar to a fence post and have someone hold her head and talk to her, so she doesn't hang herself, since she is a mad goat and not a (relatively) sensible sheep! If you have to do it alone, a belt round her middle also tied to the fence prevents too much silliness.

I do my goats' feet with them standing up like a horse, as they object loudly to being tipped up as I do my sheep - and to be fair to them they don't have the cushioning of a nice fleece.

But the above method won't be as entertaining as your earlier one   

[Lesley Silvester]

I have one goat who lays down as soon as you pick one hoof up.  All it needs then is someone to lie across her (gently) to prevent her getting up again at the wrong moment.  We had one funny time when the helper was lying with her nose just above Pom's tail when Pom decided to poo.  The helper's face was purple and she kept yelling at me to hurry up.  Trouble is I was laughing too much to be able to risk using the hoof shears.   

[ScotsGirl]

Problem is I can only catch her in she'd or when eating. She ain't stupid and knows I want to grab her. No I don't have a milking stand but need one. Just trying to work out how to make one or how to find a nice man to do it for me.


I will try the fence post and bucket if food. Just wish everything wasn't so muddy and she didn't kick like a mule! I do them standing up too as I do for sheep unless they misbehave too much but never turn them when in lamb/kid.

[ScotsGirl]

Hilarious! My sheep normally pee on my helpers legs which doesn't go down well. 

[Lesley Silvester]

Does anyone ever volunteer to help again?

[goosepimple]

We made(maid) a milking stand this year via Jaykay's suggestion and it works first class..SO much less hassle and the goaties like it too.

[jaykay]

The pattern comes from the Fias Co Farm site:

Build your own milk stand - not just for milk goats!

[Lesley Silvester]

This is a brilliant site - full of useful information.

[fifixx]

Catch her, then if you can tie her up, get a couple of extra hurdles and make a small pen around her so she's contained!  Although mine can jump ordinary hurdles when cornered......!!

good luck!

Have you checked for mange on the feet? - some of my goats get it, the vet gives me Frontline to spray which seems to work.

[ScotsGirl]

Went for the headlock and stuff her head under my jacket! Managed just to pull forward back feet and spray so now we are both purple! I can't get a good enough look but I would have thought mange would irritate and she is only footsore. There is a bad smell on my hands when I have touched so may be like mud fever/thrush in horses, do goats get it?


Just in process of putting up another shelter so hopefully then can rig up somewhere to do the maintenance stuff in dry. I'm finding it hard on my own even though they are not too difficult two pairs of hands is definitely easier

[Daisys Mum]

Just in process of putting up another shelter so hopefully then can rig up somewhere to do the maintenance stuff in dry. I'm finding it hard on my own even though they are not too difficult two pairs of hands is definitely easier

I agree it is a lot harder to do on your own, even with my pygmys. I am definitely going to get a milking stand made.

[jaykay]

ScotsGirl, if her feet smell bad, the chances are it's footrot. I might switch to the blue antibiotic spray in that case ('course, it means catching her again....... )

[Anke]

Yes footrot smells, and if she is outside a lot in this muddy weather it would be no surprise that she's got it. If the blue spray is too difficult, you can get an injection from the vets, either longacting terramycin, or I have used Draxin (spelling?) on some repeat offending ewes. Just make sure you tell them she's in-kid.

[fifixx]

I've been really lucky and never had footrot *touches many bits of wood*, my brother's herd of goats has and they use Golden Hoof - I think you can get it from Ag stores. 

When I foot-trim and its muddy, I always have a bucket with Neem shampoo in it to wash the feet and legs - good for the mange that some of them get, also good for healing, a bit like teatree (smells pretty vile though) https://mekuti.co.uk/neem.htm