# Never ending rain - so tired of hoof scald!



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Hey everyone....we've had SOOO MUCH rain as I've mentioned in other posts....we've had well over 11 inches this month which breaks a 40 year old record of just over 9 inches...
I haven't noticed any hoof rot issues, but the goats feet are looking rough, there's just no way to keep them dry. 
I don't have a picture, but I notice a lot of their feet look kind of 'eaten' on the bottom of the sole towards the toe split. It's just very uneven, and well first word that came to mind was 'eaten' haha...

Anything I can do to help correct this? Anything I can use to help protect their feet? I didn't notice this problem until the rains...so I don't think it's dietary? They have loose mineral, medicated goat grain, and I've given everyone selenium e gel...

It doesn't seem to bother them, but with having 2-3 doeling for 4-H in another month, I want them to have nice looking feet...


My other question is... is it typical to get dry skin when they are shedding? I've noticed some of the adults have some pretty flaky skin. I've not had a goat during the 'shedding season' before, so I wasn't sure?
They were all wormed last month when we found one with a wormload, and we also treated everyone for external parasites - Permetherin powder, and I also sprayed my buck with some permetherin II that I mixed with water. He has the worst looking skin, but he's been shedding like crazy too... 

Anything I can do for the dry skin? We just treated everyone one more time with Permetherin II and I'm not sure if it will make the dry skin worse.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

Can't help with the hoof at this time but dry skin is semi normal. I give mine aloe Vera juice - 6cc - and that really seems to help


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## Robynlynn (Jan 18, 2011)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

I see this in the spring when they blow thier winter coats...not all of them but some do...I just purchased the onyx right now mineral everyone on the goat spot is talking about. I was hoping that would help too?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

That is alot of rain... :shocked:

Can you keep them in the barn...sounds like... they need a dry location... even if... they may have to be penned up.........if they keep in the wet... it will be very bad on them...... Maybe put some iodine on it or something for hoof rot...
If penning them up... isn't an option... can you get boards or rocks so they don't walk ...to get past the wet area's?

Can you trim off the yuck from their hooves?


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## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

I've never tried it, but wondering if something like vasoline between the hooves on the skin might help as a water barrier to prevent the skin from breaking down? That, or A&D ointment. Poor girls.  Hope the rain stops soon.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

The rain has been very abundant here too....and my goat pens are mire and muck, I have boards as well as those smaller concrete pads out for the does but the bucks have a total slope from the feed trough to the shed, if they stay on the hill they're on semi dry ground. I've had a never ending battle with chipping and splitting hooves, mainly due to the fact that I was using a mineral that I thought was good enough for years, vaseline may work for a little while but I think that putting out blocks and boards will help keep them out of the wet ground.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

pallets with a piece of plywood on top make great goat boats.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

Thanks so much! I 'think' our mineral is ultralyx? It is for goats.. We've been using it since bought goats last spring. The rain has just been crazy, we are under a flash flood watch until 4am on Thursday! Expecting heavy rain tonight and severe weather w/heavy rain tomorrow. Thankfully the rain we had today wasn't too much..

We do have rocks around their barn, but the rocks are getting nasty from everyone walking on them. The barn area is actually the only real concern, it's nothing but mud all around it  Their pen has tall grass once you get away from the barn. We have even blocked off the only open entrance into the back yard, and opened their gate so they can roam in our backyard too.

On top of it all, the ground is so saturated, it's soaking up into one side of the barn! Thankfully doesn't affect most of the sleeping area, just the walkway in front of Wild Child's stall that leads into the back where the others sleep - we put a pallet in the corner back there that was getting damp, and we add bedding as needed to help them stay dry.

Once one of our bucklings are ready to sell, unless something drastic happens, we plan to use the $$ to fix the floor inside the barn so it doesn't soak in <hopefully>. Typically it's never too bad just by the doorway, but there just isn't anywhere for the water to go 

Nobody is lame and last check I didn't notice any hoof rot, but the bottom of their sole near where the toes meets has me stumped.... My trimmers are getting dull so I'm not getting everything as even as I'd like <hubby is going to sharpen them for me>. Here's one of the kids foot I just took a few minutes ago...I trimmed feet a week ago. Their feet are growing like CRAZY I'm trimming every 2-3 weeks right now and can't seem to keep up!










Sorry didn't get a chance to clean her foot, the dark stuff isn't hoof rot, just dirt, and her foot isn't long, it's level. Just not sure what is going on between the toes there....

Should I make a foot bath of water/bleach and make everyone walk through it daily until things dry out?

Also, thanks for the info on the dry skin. I was guessing it was from shedding, but wanted to make sure. I think 1-2 does and our buck has the dry skin. Our young red doe has it the worst and she's shedding a lot, she's finally getting a sleek neck/shoulder and her hair is soooo dark red w/black...I hope her whole body gets that way, love the color 

Thanks again for everyone's help, always ALWAYS appreciated!


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## Perfect7 (Apr 19, 2010)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

Rain, rain go away! Last year we had it rain so hard that the water was draining into the backside of our barn (slight incline). A 6 inch trench dug along the back stopped that.
Our vet recommended bleach water or iodine to prevent/treat hoof rot. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe even put some straw down on the ground in the muddy spots?
You just need to load everybody up and come down here for awhile until it dries out. Just make sure you don't forget that pretty paint buck so I can talk you out of him while you are here! :hug:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Never ending rain and a dry skin question*

Haha thanks! I'd love to come down and get out of this monsoon!!!

We have an incline around the barn - large rocks around the fronts and side, problem is when you step off of those rocks, it's all mushy mud that you sink in  I have used old bedding to help soak it up, but in the end it makes a nasty, smelly mess  My husband did load the gate area up with old bedding so it's not muddy.

It's never been this bad around the barn.....ever 

I'll make the hoof bath tomorrow. I know I can find something around here for them to stand in!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

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that happens in their hooves -- just clean it out and cut down around it.

Eventually it will grow out


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

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StaceyRoop said:


> that happens in their hooves -- just clean it out and cut down around it.
> 
> Eventually it will grow out


Thanks Stacey! I was starting to worry. I'm sure things will be a lot better when we get some dry weather in here.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

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Hoosier those feet dont look that too bad at all.
I know what you mean about the rain & the rain & more rain, we've had the wettest season on record I can hardly wait for dry weather.
Yes throwing down wasted hay smells to high heavens but better walking on that than in mud.

Maybe see if you can get hog fuel or wood chips? (puts on own list)


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

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Thanks! I think my husband wants to build up the area that is muddy when we get some dry weather - and when he can get the wheel barrow across the creek! There is a dirt mound in the woods he can use some of that to build it up and then wood chips would be ideal! I was also thinking of small rocks, not the pea size that would get stuck in their feet, but something a bit smaller than our driveway gravel. Eventually the area in front of the barn will be a barn addition!

When we raise the barn floor <thinking dirt....layer of gravel...dirt, and bedding?>, we don't want to do cement, we're okay with dirt floors...as long as we can keep the water from soaking in there. It's frustrating. I can't wait to clean up all the icky hay and bottom layer of bedding...

I think we're in 8th place for the wettest month on record. I think the monthly record is 16 inches... We're over 11 inches now, so we'll be real close to the record!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

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We have yet to put a load of gravel on the dirt floor but I would think it would help with drainage up to a point, especially if it were a few inches or so deep? I wonder if anyone does that?

Whereabouts are you Hoosier? Sorry I forgot. 

Since the babies have been sold we're working on ours. A winterful of top dressed bedding is bad enough, after a day or two the stuff that has been taken out smells like something has died. :roll: 
And the stuff that's left? Well, a river runs through it. Slight exaggeration but you know what Im talkin about.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

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I am near Lexington, KY <Central KY>. I need to put that in my profile and always forget!

I'm hoping gravel would help, I'm thinking a few inches inside and out. But definitely want to look into it before we work on it. Sadly, the more I think about it the more I think it will hae to wait until sometime this summer when we get ready to build the last barn addition ..... I can't wait to get the barn finished, feels like it's never going to be finished!

The old hay doesn't smell too awful the day after we get it out, but it sure did when we cleaned the winter bedding out....YUUUUCK! It's going to stink like crazy now when we clean it out....the mud outside the barn stinks sooooo bad


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

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No no, its the WIND from my place!


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

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You might look at some of the quarrys nearby and see how much the crushed rock is,we bought some back in the winter and it was only 8 bucks a ton.If you have a truck to haul yourself it would be cheap enough even if its a little higher than that.It is very fine but not like dust,just larger than sand grains and wont get stuck in the hooves.

I know what your talking about with this rain,just last week i told my Dad we needed more rain,well we got it!All creek and river bottoms near us are flooding and crops and hay will be late this year.It will take a week of dry weather to get the rivers back to normal.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

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Thanks for the suggestion Steve! We don't have a way to haul it, but I get we could find a way/pay someone to haul it.

I hope you are doing okay your way, I am soooo tired of this weather  I was up until 4am worrying if I fell asleep.... Got up at 6:30 to get my kids off to school, things looked okay so I laid down, next thing I know high winds are blowing and woke me up with downpouring rain. It was scary  Tornado warnings, etc. but I don't think any tornadoes came out of it.
Now we have to see what the afternoon/evening bring....oh fun.

We have large rocks directly around the barn from cement steps we broke up, they are great and a savior, so I definitely wouldn't mind having something around the muddy area. Everything is just so muddy and nasty....but as long as the goaties have a dry place to sleep....


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

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Actually im wrong about that stuff not getting stuck in the hooves,i noticed one of my doelings today limping,thought it was footrot or she needed some trim work,looked at her and it was a small gravel lodged in the sole of her foot from it being too soft from the rain,it popped right out and she was fine,it was a sharp end on the rock,kinda like a tooth shape.It must have been sticking her in the quick a little bit.I guess it dont matter what it is when it rains like it has, their hooves just get too soft and can pick up stuff easier.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

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The rain is driving me mad! One of my does has hoof scald and is really sore...my buck has it and is sore....I'm praying none of the others get it! I smell like Thrush XX, and dread doing feet.... Everyone's feet is starting to look like the picture I posted in this thread...I know it's from the rain and nothing I can do but keep them trimmed. I just trimmed a couple of weeks ago, and they look like I haven't touched them in a month or more....crazy....

Had to vent


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

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Hoosier did you get any of that hail today?

It is finally drying up here and the grass is getting better,just hope it dont shut off until fall,I know what you mean about those hooves,mine are all doing the same in that picture,but no problems yet hope you can get them all trimmed and back to normal.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

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Somehow we didn't get anything yesterday. The round that hit Cynthiana around 6pm was close enough that we saw dark clouds and heard thunder, but that was about it. Looks like eastern KY had a busy day yesterday.

We're starting to dry out too, and I agree hopefully we don't have a dry summer. I'm sorry your also dealing with the craziness in the feet  Ours are still the same, just about all the kids have feet like this now. I have one doe that has it really bad, and is so sore


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

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Well their feet are not looking much better at all 

I feel like I need to be trimming 1x a week, because if I go 2-3 weeks they look like they haven't been touched in 2+ months! It's crazy...and they are growing sooo odd looking like in the picture on the previous page. I know it has to be the rain, surely, because that's when I noticed the problems starting.

Hoof Scald is running it's course....

Also.... I notice on some feet that pockets develope, it's hard to explain... but basically the pockets are coming in horizontally not vertically. They are clean pockets- typically clean, but once I cut the top off <this is on the BOTTOM of the foot either towards the toe or towards the heel>, there is a blister looking thing underneath - looks like the piece I cut off was rubbing it causing it to get raw... does that make sense? Anyway, I used a sponge, warm water cleaned their feet real good, then used 3/4 bleach 1/4 water in a spray bottle and sprayed real good....dried with a towel, and then squirted some LA200 on any affected areas. 
Latest blow is the fact 2 of the 3 4-H doelings are walking sore  I'm praying I can treat with LA200 on the feet and not need to do any injections. 
I'll repeat my routine daily on everyone, and pray that they all get better. It's been dry and hot the past few days, but looks like rain for the weekend 

To top it all off my kids 4-H goats have their vet inspection on Saturday for health certificates....wonder how it would look if 2 are sore, and one has the injured ear ::sigh::....

I know it will get better, we dealt with this about this same time last year.....it's just frustrating!

I want to sell 2 of the bucklings and a doeling SOON, but not until they are in the clear with hoof scald. The third buckling we have to hang onto longer as he injured his foot a while back and it needs more time to heal before we can do anything with him. So frustrating...But at least I can be with my babies longer...I love them dearly, especially our lil Kid Rock Star...OMG he is our baby.....I might end up holding onto him a little longer than the others...


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