Good news for novice hoof trimmers

[SDGsoap&dairy]

I groom dogs for a living and use a dremel regularly for nails. Considered using it on the goats for a moment but I agree that they're too soft. I like a rasp for leveling the sole after using the hoof trimmers.

 

[Dreaming Of Goats]

I help on a goat farm, and I had to trim kid goat feet yesterday for the first time. I'm a kid, and I did it! I think I used the orange handled ones and they worked pretty well! I trimmed 2 goats hooves.....and I got the hang of it!

 

[savingdogs]

Good for you, Dreaming of Goats and Sheep.

I've seen young people who were much better with animals than adults. Sometimes we don't give you guys credit!

I know my son can catch any animal quicker and better than I can!

 

[jlbpooh]

I have heard of people making goat toys with roof shingles on the surface, so when they play the shingles are supposed to file the hooves. The buck I bought from them had well-trimmed hooves, so I'm guessing it works. Has anyone else tried this?

Nathan

The ramp that goes up to the large porch on my goat house is made of deckboards and then I nailed shingles on top. It is fairly steep to where I have to walk up on my toes in order to get up. My goats LOVE this ramp and think it is a plaything in itself. I have found that it has extended my time in between trimmings quite dramatically since they have been playing on this. So, in my case, I would say that it does work.

 

[Egg_Newton]

The lady I bought my goats from uses hoof trimmers then finishes up with a drimmel. I'm a big chicken and was afraid I'd cut too deep and injure a hoof or a paw (that's why I use them for the dogs too). It does take a little longer but I only have two goats. Since the lady I got them from used a drimmel the older one didn't mind but the whither did scream quite a bit but I imagine he will get used to it too.

 

[cutechick2010]

Hykue,could you post a picture of the pruners you got that worked so well? Or a link to a similar product online, what ever is easiest. I am just very curious, the only pruners I know of are the huge ones you use for cutting tree branches, LOL. I have been using the hoof rots shears too, and I think if I have to use them one more time I may wind up with some kind of hernia of the hand...

 

[Hykue]

I took pictures . . .

The old ones are the green-handled ones on the right, the new ones are the black-handled ones on the left. I don't know why they're so much better, but they really truly are . . . they might be sharper, or maybe the blades meet better, or the slightly less broad blade is easier to get into the middle of the hoof, or they fit my hand a little better . . . I don't know. Maybe all of the above. It's like night and day, though. It's still a little tough to make a cut when the hooves are really dry, but 10 times easier with the pruners than with the hoof shears.

The pruners in my tiny little hand. You can see the brand is Fiskar, but I don't know how much difference that makes. Maybe they're really great pruners, or maybe it could be any pruners at all.

ETA: Are these pictures enormous? Am I being a jerk to those with dial-up? I can't tell . . . input, please!

 

[cutechick2010]

Looks great to me. Thanks a lot!