Trimming Goats Hooves

18 September, 2015rodster385Comments (0)

Goats are cloven hoofed and the horny tissue grows continuously and needs regular trimming. We would trim hoofs at Knocknagulagh Boers every 2 Months. Goats running on concrete or hilly country with rocks would not normally need as much attention as those in paddocks. A pair of well sharpened Foot Rot shears are required for this job. The goat needs to be put in a goat handler, tied securely or held by another person. You must stand with your back to the goat as if shoeing a horse. Lift the leg at the pastern with one hand leaving the other hand free to cut the hoof. You must then cut off the outer horny growth, level with the rest of the hoof, cutting away from you towards the toe of the hoof. It will then be necessary to cut the heel down to the same level. Now make sure the goat is standing well balanced on all four feet. Remember a lame goat is a poor grazer and will spend a lot of time lying down whenever it should be growing. Its conformation may also be permanently altered if the hooves are not trimmed.