Trimming Goat Hooves...

[GoatsRus]

What do you use to trim your goats hooves? By that I mean, do you put them on some kind of stand so that it's not so hard on your back? Our herd is getting larger each year and I do all the trimming (oh my aching back...) while DH holds the goats horns. This has worked to a point, but the goats don't like to be held by their horns and move around a lot. Or one will come up and bite the ears of the one we're holding . I've looked at stands that come with a wench to raise and lower the platform. We have boer goats so they are big and are not used to being on a milk stand. I would gladly pay the price for one of these contraptions, but I'm afraid that they would not stand still on it and I would waste my money. Any one ever use one of these stands? It sure would help out my back. to be able to get them up higher to trim.

[Jim S.]

rocks

[Gailann Schrader]

I think you mean WINCH.

a wench would come with WHOLE different problems...

If she was dressed properly (or improperly as the case might be).

Although a wench to raise and lower the goat stand might be interesting to watch.



Can you use a pinch chute?

[Jim S.]

Originally Posted by Gailann Schrader

Although a wench to raise and lower the goat stand might be interesting to watch.

Um, could she wear black leather and a real short skirt? Pleeeeze? :1pig: :1pig:

[KimM]

Funny!!

I have a stand with a winch and it helps immensley. I wouldn't be without it now, even when I do get rocks.

[southerngurl]

I built this milk stand for my milk goat. It would work great for trimming as well.

http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/milkstand.html

[Jim S.]

Kim, we are just kidding around (pun intended)!

Once you get a pile of rocks for them to climb on, and rock sidewalks into your barn, you will be AMAZED at how much your hoof trimming chores will be reduced.

Oh yeah, you can actually cull your herd for hoof growth. It is heritable. Mark your biggest hoof chore girls for the earliest exits, and try to retain females from those animals who present the littlest trimming chores, once the rock pile is in place. Keep only the thriftiest animals that the laziest person could easily raise, and soon you will BE that lazy person!

Goats need rock...that's a natural fact. I didn't have any on my place, so I installed some! And wait til your real young kids find the pile! Oh boy, keep your camera close by! It is hilarious!

[BlueHeronFarm]

We found that ours do not like having it done on the milk stand. Now we lean them into a wall and I straddle their neck and pet their heads while my husband trims. The confinement seems to help.

...we're also looking at a tilter. (not sure if that's what they're called, but a metal gate thing that knocks 'em sideways off their feet.)

[Jim S.]

BlueHeron...

http://www.sydell.com/products.asp?i...20Tilt%20Table

[Jim S.]

Being poor, it looks to me like a version of #933 could be knocked out with a welder using a $24.95 Harbor Freight dolly as the base.

[BlueHeronFarm]

Yeah-- I'm sure we wouldn't buy one ready-made - we're bodgers now. We fell for the Goat Gofer when we picked up our first goats - now everything is homemade.

Thanks for the link - the photo with the sheep in it cracks me up.

[Jim S.]

Blue Heron, instead of "homemade," I say my stuff is "unique." Adds an artsy-fartsy tone to it, dontcha think?

BTW, my herbalist wife's clinical biz is named Blue Heron Healing.

[KimM]

Originally Posted by Jim S.

Blue Heron, instead of "homemade," I say my stuff is "unique." Adds an artsy-fartsy tone to it, dontcha think?

BTW, my herbalist wife's clinical biz is named Blue Heron Healing.

Does she have a website?