Trimming goat hooves seems like a dreadful task for every homesteader who deals with it. However, it is absolutely necessary to trim them off and to keep your goat healthy. Typically, a goat needs their hooves trimmed once in every six to ten weeks and less active individuals need more frequent trimming.
Why Trimming Goat Hooves Are Important?
They are two main reasons for why trimming goat hooves are very important. The first thing is to give them an comfortable walking surface to step on and the second thing is to clean out accumulated dirt and debris that have gotten in their feet to prevent infections.
Well, hoof walls are the point of concern in a goat’s foot maintenance. If you leave them unchecked for several weeks, results in growing through the soft sole of goats foot and begin to curl over their toe. It creates painful walking conditions and trap dirt tightly against the hoof wall and sole.
Later on, it begins to grow on heel by making uneven surface for the goat to walk on. When they can’t walk, they travel less and when they travel less, they eat less which means they aren’t getting enough nutrients for their growth. This means, they’re setting themselves to become sick.
So, you must trim goat hooves once in a while to prevent diseases like foot rot. Below is everything you need to know about things you need and how to trim your goat’s hooves.
How To Trim Goats Hooves?
Things You Need:
- Hood trimmers
- Hoof pick with a brush
- Hoof plane
- Liquid bandage
- Blood stop powder
- Gloves
Step By Step Process Of Trimming Goats Hooves:
Firstly, remember to avoid blood. You don’t want to open up any wounds or hurt in the hooves as they are in contact with dirt, poopy ground at all times.
Step 1: Place All Your Tools Close By
Get all your tools and place them close.
Step 2: Place Goat
Get your goat in place or give them a treat which will help them to be happy for a bit of time while this is taking place.
Step 3: Wear Gloves
Put on your gloves, it keeps your hands protected.
Step 4: Hoof Wall
Take tip of clippers or hoof pick with brush to clean the hooves. Trim the overgrown part off first and clean, of course it depends on how long it is. Carefully cut off the excess or overgrown hoof wall, don’t cut too deep until you see what is going on with hood after excess is cut.
Step 5: Trim Carefully
Continue trimming the toe until you see pink color. Make this process very slow, so that they aren’t hurt, as you trim make sure the coronary band is parallel to the ground.
Step 6: Trim Between Toes:
After trimming the outer wall of hoof wall, begin working on the inner hoof wall between the toes. Trim the excess where the heels are the softest part of root though.
Step 7: It’s Time To Trim Heel Too:
Heels are the soft and plushy part of the foot, be careful when trimming the heel. Remember, our goal is to have a flat hoof.
Step 8: Flatten Soles
Use a hoof rasp to flatten the bottom of hoof to have flat soles to walk.
Step 9: Check Them Once
Now, put the hoof down and look back the progress you did for your goat, you want the coronary band to be parallel to ground, so keep checking until you see it.
Step 10: Record Each Trimming:
It’s better to record everything you’ve done so far for your goats. It makes you organized, prompt on top you will know the health of your goat.
If you see any blood on your goat’s hoof, clean it up and stop the blood. Or apply a liquid bandage to the entire bottom of hoof. It takes about 90 seconds to dry and if the ground is normal, the bandage lasts up to 24 hours.
You can also use blood stop powder to stop the blood, especially if there is a serious blood flow.
Some More Tips For Goat Hoof Trimming:
- Trim after a rain, it will soften the hoof wall and make it easier for you to trim.
- If you have number of goats, mark them one by one so that you will have some idea about the goats which have finished and which need to be done.
- Have all your tools on hand, ready and easy to reach.
- If your goats are frustrated, don’t force them. Plan it for another day.
- Trim them regularly to minimize the problems and to make it much easier on you as well as on goat.
Here you go with all the things you need for trimming goat’s hooves and don’t forget to write down when you trimmed your goats in your goat management binder.