what do you use to trim goat's hooves?

[BamaSuzy]

What do you use to trim your goats' hooves? What do you use and where did you buy it/them?????

One of my new does needs hers trimmed....So I might as well get used to doing this regularly. Luckily she is the tamest one!

[okgoatgal2]

my mom uses a pocket knife.
i on the other hand, since i would likely slice a finger off or something, use the hoof trimmers from either caprine supply or hoeggers-both are online-and they trimmers are very easy to use. a little pricey, but worth it to me b/c they make clean cuts and are easy to use.

I bought myself pruning shears.

The small ones, like you'd trim roses with. They're sharp, safe, inexpensive (if you lose or misplace them, like me!) and pretty easy to use & use quickly for impatient goats!

You do have to flip them over to trim each half of the foot.

mamahen (not logged in) shhh I'm at work!

[trixiwick]

I too prefer sharp shears for most of the trimming, though I also take a hoof knife down with me for occasional use. I also have taken to trimming hooves every three weeks - it's just so much easier to trim a little bit than to do a major job every six weeks. Maybe our girls' hooves just grow extra-fast...

[Mrs_stuart]

We use pruning shears too. They are cheap and easy to find this time of year...We have one pair in the goat house and one in the animal "kit" that we use for just hooves. they work great.

Belinda

[woolfool]

I've been using tin snips on our sheep and goats. There are a number of suppliers that produce official 'hoof shears' as well. I have heard the Burgeon and Ball's hoof shears are as good as their sheep shears.

Victoria

[cashcrop]

We always used what we called tin snips but since moving up to N. Wisconsin I've heard them referred to as aviation shears. We had "hoof trimmers" when I was a teenager but, my 4-h goat leader said the tin snips worked much better! She was RIGHT!!!

[Sarah J]

I have a pair of the orange handled hoof trimmers from Hoegger's...I think they work really well, but wish they'd stay sharp longer...

-Sarah

[shelbynteg]

I have a drawer full of trimmers, every goat trimmer that is sold. Without a doubt, the best trimmer I've found is a small curved-blade pruning scissor you can buy in any gardening department. They range from $5 up. When I start having difficulty with them cutting the hoof, I tighten the blade screw, that usually is the problem. Cheaper than the 'goat' trimmers also.

[westbrook]

Wal-Mart pruning shears, also wear a nice heavy garden glove on the hand holding the hoof! saves slicing your hand when they pull their hoof away!