Wish me luck! (hoof trim time)

[ani's ark]

Actually past time. But ever since I did the first trim on the young kids and cut Sausage's toe when he kicked out and it bled badly, I've been too scared to tackle this again - even though Sausage was fine.

This morning I looked at the kids feet (3 wethers and 1 doeling all 5 months - Salmas fine as she's easily done on the milkstand) and they are quite overgrown so it's time to suck it up and just do it. OK, game plan:

Leather gloves - check
DH to help hold them - check
Milk stand with bottomless treat bowl - check
Assortment of treats - check
Assortment of fabric strips to hogtie them on stand - check
Sharp, oiled hoof shears - check
Corn flour in bowl to put their feet in if any blood - check
Emotional preparation - ummmm.....
Anything else I need?

Here goes nothing.

[mammabooh]

Good luck! I did my girls' hooves yesterday afternoon and now I can't stand upright...must have twisted my back weird. It sucks getting old.

At least the girls have lovely-looking feet!

[LFRJ]

Good luck. Go slow. If you panic or getting anxious, they will too.
A few more items that would be on MY list-

Chop stick for picking the gunk out - check
Spray bottle with light bleach solution - check.
Spray bottle with regular H20 to explain who's boss - check
Naylor's hoof & heel - check
Scissors to give a nice trim-line to the fur above the hoof - check
Calgon for hot bath after - check
Glass of celebritory Chablis - check

[ani's ark]

Went off without a hitch! Scrapped the milk-stand idea as I didnt want to wrestle them from the farm gate to the house, so just set up in the paddock right by their pen gate. Went like this.

1) Open gate, grab one and shuffle out (fending off others who have spotted bowl of grain outside gate), point goat at food and let go. Beeline to bowl.
2) While goatling has ecstatic grain orgy, DH holds collar
3) Grab a leg, and while goat is deeply traumatised and kicks furiously, mysteriously still manages to keep face glued to grain bowl.
4) Hold foot firmly under arm and trim, slowly, carefully from the side in, watching for pink under hoof.
5) Done, next foot, repeat steps 3 & 4 until all 4 feet beautifully pedicured.
6) Surgically extract goat from grain bowl and forcibly return to paddock.
7) Repeat all steps above.
6) Top up baking soda in paddock shelter to counter possible bellyaches from grain binge.

Well, that was not so bad. I feel like a better goat momma.

[Goat Servant]

Oh Ani I just love all this your description is wonderful!!

[Awnry Abe]

I just did all of ours today. Phew. It was a gorgeous, warm, dry, sunny afternoon. It is so nice to get that just-like-new-kid look to their hooves again. The dairy goats and the double-wide pregos got on the stanchion. Everyone else got some sort man-love. The yearlings are my favorite. They just sort of melt in lap after being restrained. Our billy goat turned out to be cake. He gets routine belly rubs, so getting him to flop down for a trim was a cinch.

[Minelson]

Great description! whew! Glad you got it done

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'm impressed. My back can't deal with that many at once.

It works for me to do a couple every Sunday morning.

[CaliannG]

Decided that I needed to stop procrastinating today and get out an do the hoof trimming. (I am only a month late!) Got out the brand, sparkling new shears and went after it.

Shears did make it quicker, for which I was grateful.

5 year old doe who has had her hooves trimmed a hundred times? Fights tooth and hoof EVERY time...it takes me an hour to do *just her*. I always make sure to try to get to her first, when I am energetic and fresh.

5 month old buckling who is having his first trim (as he didn't need it last time)? Holds his hooves up for me one by one.

[LFRJ]

Man am I jealous. We have a regular goat rodeo with our dairy gals. The meat gals, not so much. Not so spoiled? Glad it went well for you.

[Alaska_farm_mom]

Glad my girls picked up fast on trimming. They have been tackling this job for me. Goats seem to like it as well so less tugging from goat end.

[LoneStrChic23]

Woo hoo! Happy you got it done

3 of my girls were in sad shape.... Lost my trimmers in the moving process, but couldn't put it off anymore so I decided to try trimming with a knife for the first time ever...

Only could find one glove so I used it for my holding hand, and of course I almost took my thumb off on the ungloved hand!! Super glued the cut back together and I'll be darned if I didn't cut my thumb again!! Thankfully the other 3 cuts I got weren't as bad..... Got most everyone done though and I was the only one bloodied up in the process

[Minelson]

Originally Posted by LFRJ

Man am I jealous. We have a regular goat rodeo with our dairy gals. The meat gals, not so much. Not so spoiled? Glad it went well for you.

I remember that rodeo you had.....still makes me chuckle

[April]

I walk like Tim Conway's Mr. Tudball (am I showing my age?) for a few days after every hoof trimming.