# How do you trim hooves on a goat that isn't too tame?



## mama2cntrykids (Jan 1, 2013)

I've been watching youtube vids on how to trim goat hooves and it seems ok if the goat is pretty tame, but what about one that isn't? How do you do it? I have one doeling that pretty tame (she's 3 months) and one that isn't really tame at all (5 months). 

I've really nervous about the untame goat. Pointers?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Have more than one person helping. Some of my "tame" goats are wild when I want to trim their toenails.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

I learned a really good trick from my farrier - lay them down. It is less stressful, they are easier to control and, in my case, they did 2 feet at a time so it was a lot faster. Obviously this won't work with heavy bred does, but it should work pretty neatly with your doeling.


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## audrey (Jul 17, 2012)

My best friend who taught me how to trim goat feet is like the goat whisperer or something lol. Shes a bit of a bigger girl, not so much tall, but shes got some heft to her. She just sort of gently takes them down (she showed me how but I have never been able to the way she did) and cradles them in her lap, she finds the position that works best for them and each one just sort of relaxed and fell asleep while she trimmed them LOL.

When shes not here, I hold them while my mom trims. We expect the adults to stand nicely for it, but the babies I usually hold because they aren't used to having their feet and legs handled as much.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I just tie them up securely and start trimming. They may kick and struggle and throw a fit. Some will even holler like you are killing them, just make sure you hold the foot in a natural position, not out to the side or twisted as that is uncomfortable. Some will lay down, I just keep trimming. If you give their feet back when they are misbehaving you are only rewarding the behavior. I always wait until they quit kicking/struggling before they get their feet back. If you do it often enough they will get the hint that good behavior is rewarded with getting their foot back.

I agree with Karen, I have had some wild goats just stand and let me trim their feet while the tame ones act terrible.


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## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

Do you have a milk stand? If not, tie her to the fence, and just grab up a hoof, and trim. With the really wild ones, grab the hoof, and put their hoof in between your knees, and trim them that way ( like how people trim horse hooves), it's a lot easier that way.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If you don't have any one to help, tie the head to a good post snugly. Tie up one back leg, the side you will be working on. 
When done, move the goat to the other side, repeat.

The goat will yank and yank, wait til the goat stops, then continue trimming. Trim just a little at a time, until you see pink.

If the goat gets out of hand, I smack with open hand, on their belly and say "Quite"

With the rear leg, they will yank really hard. I do like the horse trimmers do, and hold the rear leg between my legs and when they yank. I hold with the goat leg with my leg and hand , less stress on me. Some yank pretty hard.

With time and more trimmings, they will get a bit better. All goats don't like to be trimmed, but, some are more behaved then others, even with a lot of experience. 

Hope this helped?


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## surveyman (Jan 19, 2013)

This is why I bought a working chute before I had any goats.


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## kramsay (Mar 7, 2013)

We layed mine down (same age never been trimmed, 1 isn't very tame) to do it today.. worked wonderful! you need 2 people 3 is easier, lay them directly on their back, put their head in between the person who is trimming other person keeps them calm and holds down back legs!  I was amazed at how well they took it !


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Actually, we did it with one person holding, 2 people trimming and helping to hold if she threw a fit. I was totally amazed at the number of girls who literally fell asleep while their feet were being trimmed. It beat anything I've ever seen, especially since the girls had never seen the farrier and her helper before. Usually they flip out when new people are in the pens.


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## IrishRoots (Jan 7, 2013)

I have a wild doe and I just put her I

On the milk stand and make sure to be very patient


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## Rev144 (Jan 22, 2011)

On the wild ones I lay them down on their side and kind of sit over them, and hold the neck down. To lay them down, stand with your knees along their side, reach over them and grab the legs closest to your knees and gently pull them out from under them and they should slide down your legs . You have to kind of move fast, because once they realize they are being taken down they might get frisky! I grab a leg and start working on the hoof. You have to be very careful because if they kick, you can jab yourself very easy with the trimmers. If you get jabbed, make sure you clean it out really good. Nothin like some poop wedged up the fingernails by a sharp pair of hoof trimmers! Keep the neck and head down and they cant get up. Kind of keep them rolled inbetween the back bone and the side. HOld the leg until they stop kicking. Watch for flying hoofs. You can get injured easily by the hoof you are not working on. If you have help that is better. We trimmed out doelings a few weeks ago. I had hubby pick them up and put his stomach to their back and kind of cradle them. Their heads flopped to one side and off to sleep they went! It was rather funny!


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## mama2cntrykids (Jan 1, 2013)

Thanks everyone. Very helpful suggestions. I have trimmers and leads coming in the mail. I also have my bigger than me 12 year old son to help .


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good luck


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

I love all these descriptions of how t trim the hooves. I think you should video it and show us lol


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