What is your technique for hoof trimming?

[dianneS]

I have about five rescued goats, and none of them are real keen on having their hooves trimmed. We can manage to get it done, but the goats that we've raised ourselves are so much more cooperative!

How do you trim hooves? What do you do with difficult to handle goats? I have two does that you can't even touch most of the time, so even catching them is a chore.

Do you trim them standing or do you lay them down? Do you tie them or give them grain to occupy them?

 

[()relics]

I trim most of mine with no restraint..Others I have to use a rope halter, especially the younger ones that haven't figured the deal out yet...Very occasionally I will have to use a head gate...But that is rare....I trim them when they are standing. I grab and hold their feet just like a farrier holds a horses foot. I think its easier to get the exact angle with the trimmers and I like to let them put their foot down once in a while , durring the trim,so I can see them put weight on it, then more trimming may be needed if something looks unbalanced...I prefer to trim in the pasture after a couple of days of rain...the hooves are softer which makes the job easier, I think...But you have to have goats that you can walk up to in the pasture...

 

[Beekissed]

I don't know if goats are like sheep at all in this respect, but when a sheep is sat down on it's rump with feet extended, it is pretty helpless. This is how we trim our sheep's hooves and, as soon as we had them in position, they relaxed and acted like they were getting a mani/pedi!

My gals are real flighty and we usually can't put a hand on them but we caught them running past and a mild head restraint is usually all it takes to subdue their panic...then the turn and flip to their backside. Takes two people but they really can't pull their feet away or fight you this way.

I use hand pruners and these work pretty well.

 

[chubbydog811]

We put ours up on the milking stand with some grain...Not much fighting when you do that!!

 

[Mini-M Ranch]

Stanchion and grain is the preferred method for the uncooperative ones. I have one girl that totally doesn't care and will practically hold her foot up for you.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I usually leave goats standing either on the milk stand or tied, and just pick up the feet. Sheep I'll set on their rump. I once had a large wether goat that I had to lay down and sit on him in order to trim his feet. And he screamed bloody murder the whole time.

 

[dianneS]

I prefer to trim in the pasture after a couple of days of rain...the hooves are softer which makes the job easier, I think...But you have to have goats that you can walk up to in the pasture...

That's when I did mine this last time. It was the first time I trimmed three of the newest goats. I figured in the pasture, they wouldn't know that something was "up"! It was just after a rain too, which worked really well, the hooves were softer and cleaner too.

I kept treats in my pocket though and trimmed them on their big wire spool that they climb on. I had one big wether come over and start chewing on my pocket while I was trimming. He completely crushed the animal crackers that were in my pocket so all I had to treat with was cookie dust! I won't do that again.

I'm thinking of putting grain in front of them next time, I think that will help, but I will have to isolate them from the rest or we'll be mauled with that grain around!

 

[Horsefly]

We dont have a milking stand yet to restrain our goats in so for my more wild goats I tied them up with their heads in a corner with some hay. I also had a helper who would push against their neck kind of penning them to the wall. I then sat on the ground to trim as that was most comfortable. I just moved the goat from one wall to the other to get to the feet on the other side. This works well for me with minimal struggle.
I have also seen it done laying the goat dow. But I done really like that way as it seems more unatural and stressful for the goat.

 

[rmbouillon]

I recently bought a herd of registered lamanchas (two doelings are saanenXlamanchas) and when I got them all home I checked them over and WOW, every adult's poor feet were so over grown that I couldn't see any actual toe flesh. the nails were folded over and going up the other side of the foot not just the other toe. the nails on the inside of the toes were curled into the bottom of the toes. I have no idea how they could even stand up. I tried to get them to stand in the pasture and trim them like a ferrier does with a horse. That didn't work AT ALL. They don't seem ike they have been around people and handled all that much. So I tried tying to a post with a collar/halter. NO.. that was worse. Tried a milking stand.. Nope, they looked for feed and wouldn't stay still.

I finally resorted to something I saw being used for sheep at a local farm by a lady smaller than I am. I tried it by walking up beside them (including my herdsire who is not a small boy and weighs about about 30 lbs less than I do), reaching over their backs, grabbing the front and rear leg closest to my leg and slowly putting them down on their side, braced their necks between my foot and knee using my lower leg so my foot was on the ground on one side of the neck and knee on the other with little actual pressure on their necks, then straddle them petting them so they calm down.. within a few minutes each one of them was calmed down and just lazying on their sides getting a mani/pedi. This works for me and I allows me to check them over for lumps and other whatnots.

 

[Ariel301]

Most of mine are ok to trim just standing in the milk stand with some feed to occupy them. But I also start training them from day one to have their feet held. If I get a new adult goat that doesn't stand for it, I will spend a few minutes every day putting them in the stand and picking up and holding their feet until they settle down and accept it.

I have one older doe with arthritic hocks that gives me lots of trouble when I need to do her hind feet. She kicks and stomps and thrashes around and falls down or sits down when I try to pick up those feet, because she doesn't like having her hocks bent up very long. For her, it's easiest if I wait for her to be napping, then have my husband go out and sort of sit on her with her laying on her side so she can't get up (She doesn't mind being handled while she is laying down) and I'll trim her feet laying down.