How to trim a goat's hooves at home: rules and tools

Goat hooves grow throughout the animal's life and need to be treated. Without pruning, they become a source of infection, interfere with walking. How to trim the hooves of a goat at home, what tools to use, this question worries novice farmers who have large herds of artiodactyls, and the owners of only one goat.

Why goat hooves are trimmed

All goats have to systematically cut their hooves and process them. As they grow, they become clogged with mud and injure the legs of the animal. Goats stop running, lose their appetite, then try to move less, often lie down.They begin to become obese, their milk yields decrease. A goat with untreated hooves may not properly place its feet and experience problems with eating and drinking. Joint deformity often occurs. Parts of untreated hooves that have stuck into the skin injure it, infection easily enters the wounds, and inflammation begins. Animals are unsteady on their feet, limping.

Under natural conditions, goats rub off the overgrown stratum corneum on rocks or hard soil, so pruning is not required. When kept at home, they move much less, in winter they are on a thick barn litter, so they need help. Goats are trimmed from the age of 3 months.

If there is an asph alt surface near the livestock breeder's house, in summer it is enough to drive the animals on a hard surface once a day to remove the overgrown stratum corneum. They should walk about 1 kilometer.

Optimal timing

To ensure that the goat does not experience any inconvenience, it is recommended to trim the hooves at least 2 times a year.This is done in the fall and spring necessarily, at other times - if necessary. The previously keratinized layer is softened by allowing the animal to walk in the snow or on fresh grass after rain. Before entering the pasture in spring, the hooves must be processed, since in winter they grow more intensively than in other seasons. In summer, the overgrown layer is partially removed during grazing and walking.

Required set of tools

To properly cut the goat's nails, you should stock up on improvised tools. In work, you can not do without special equipment:

• hook for cleaning hooves from dirt, manure, small stones;
• hoof scissors with handles of medium length; they can be purchased at pet stores or online;
• garden pruner, with thin ends of the blades it is convenient to cut off the stratum corneum;
• sharp table knife;
• pruning shears;
• hoof knife;
• scissors and hacksaws;
• side cutters may be useful for too hard hooves.

A hoof knife can be used with experience in pruning, otherwise it is easy to injure or inflict it on an animal. In addition to tools, you need to stock up on hot water, a pink solution of potassium permanganate or blue copper sulfate; for washing hooves after trimming, they can also be treated with creosote. Additionally, it is convenient to use special means that protect the hooves from infection, hoof rot, for example, "Kubatol". They are purchased at veterinary pharmacies or pet stores.

Experienced farmers use a smaller set of tools.If a person does not yet have the practice of performing this procedure, it is better to contact a more knowledgeable livestock breeder and order pruning, carefully observing the process, or pre-watch a few training videos.

Preparing the animal

Hoof trimming scares a goat, even if it has gone through this procedure more than once. Young artiodactyls are especially restless. To prevent the animal from kicking, it can be tied in a special machine or rolled on its side or back. A second person may be needed to handle the goat. Pregnant goats are exempt from the procedure. They need to trim their hooves before mating and after lambing.

If the goat is standing in a special stand, the front hooves are trimmed by raising the leg to chest level or moving it back and slightly to the side.

The back legs are bent at the knee, also pulling back. In order for the goat to endure the pruning calmly, you need to give it something tasty and gently stroke the animal during the procedure.

Cutting technique

Each hoof should be thoroughly cleaned, free from dirt, bits of droppings and grass. To soften the old stratum corneum, you can use warm water, clean them with a special hook or the end of scissors, additionally removing dirt with a brush and rinsing with clean water.

Important: neglected hooves cannot be leveled at once, several trims will be required.

Alignment is carried out, often cutting off a slightly overgrown layer (every 2-3 weeks). After 3-5 circumcisions, the hoof plane appears, the blood vessels go deeper, the animal begins to walk normally. When trimming hooves, you should pay attention to the smell. If it is unpleasant, putrid, you should look for and process the places of damage.

The hoof horn is carefully cut off, the plane parallel to the upper edge of the hooves is leveled. The goat after trimming should stand steadily on its feet.The hooves after trimming should remain dry and white, if they are slightly pinkish, then the vessels are close. With inaccurate pruning, blood may appear, then the wound should be treated with iodine, a solution of potassium permanganate, copper sulfate or furacilin.

He althy hooves are hard, white and dry. Animals do not experience discomfort when walking, they are active during walking. You should pay special attention to the goat, if she began to limp, stumble, tries to lie down. Perhaps the hoof is injured by a sharp branch, a stone, or it is time to cut it. If the state of the hooves is not running, it is easy for the goat to help. It is enough to wash the leg, find damage, treat the wound. Therefore, do not neglect such an important procedure.

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