# Need advice on how to get my goats to stand still for trimming.



## glavin96 (Feb 17, 2013)

How does everyone trim their goats hooves? Its always the same nightmare when we try to trim, they fight us unbelievably! My husband tries to hold them in his lap while I trim and its exhausting. Anyone have any tricks of the trade? We have tried letting them eat hay or treats and they just don't want me to hold their feet. I wonder how I will ever milk them when its time. They are both just over a year old now and we do get the job done but like i said its a challenge.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I use the milkstand, but you could also put a collar on them, and clip them to the fence. Here is how Stacey does it: http://www.endofthelinefarm.com/hooftrimming.htm


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## ahead-by-a-hare (Jan 6, 2013)

I use my milk stand. Generally because I have mostly Nigerians. I had sheep when I was a teenager and we flipped them on their butt. Tried that when we first got goats and it didn't work. I dread hoofs because my crew are fighters. But I do have a few good ones. Thankfully my buck seems to have poor balance when you start trimming so he just worries about staying upright! Good luck


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

I flip them onto their sides and sit on them--only putting enough weight on them to hold them down-- and it's easy for me that way! You just have to be careful doing it with pregnant does.


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## glavin96 (Feb 17, 2013)

Thank you, I guess I need a milk stand now. Thank you for posting that website it's so informative!!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Besides a milk stand the best thing we've found is to just remain calm. We tell them what good girls they are even if they are being pills.


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## MissyParkerton (Nov 24, 2012)

I trim hooves when they are busy eating. They don't seem to mind what I do as long as they are chowing down on something yummy.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

MissyParkerton said:


> I trim hooves when they are busy eating. They don't seem to mind what I do as long as they are chowing down on something yummy.


Lucky :laugh:


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## Bellaboo (Mar 4, 2013)

Have Someone hold hay while u trim them


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

Keep holding the foot until your done. They will learn that all the kicking and dancing around is not going to get you to let go and they will settle down.


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## Catahoula (Feb 12, 2013)

I used to use the milk stand but it was more work for me to get my Boers up on the stand. They can eat out of the bowl without getting on the stand. Now, I just tie them by the fence. I lean on them pushing them against the fence and just trim away. The more you do it, the more they'll get used to it. I trim mine once a month.


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## brownie (Jan 31, 2013)

Mess with there feet every once and a while Start at the top and slowly run your hand down its leg until it is right below the tendon .


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## Ninja Goats (Sep 6, 2011)

My husband and I just built a stand for our goats this weekend. Hopefully gone are my days of wrestling. I trimmed everyone on it and while they weren't too impressed with the set up I loved it. I'm hoping to be able to trim them on a more regular basis now since it'll be so much easier for me with the stand. And they'll get used to it... I hope  Need to add a goodie bucket to the front.

I do need some different trimmers. I was using hoof knives but they get dull so fast. I finished up with a set of pruners but didn't really like how those worked. I'll try some from Jeffers next. Also on that website the lady was picking her goats feet up much higher than I ever do. I'll have to try it that way next time.










One angry goat. We just stuck him in there for a picture, he calmed down better the next day for trimming.









Hubby and his handywork


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## nigi1967 (Nov 2, 2012)

We teach our goats to get on the stand as soon as they are big enough to jump up there. We feed them on the stand too so they will jump right up there. We clip for shows, milk, vaccinate, and trim hooves all while they are up there. Ours has a head piece they put their head thru and locks it in. If they fight when getting hooves trimmed, we just hang on til they stop or have a 2nd person hold up the diagonal foot because they sure don't like standing on 2 legs.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

It must be fun to have a "handy man" around. lol. Do you just say "I want..." and it happens? I really need to hire a guy to do farm type work here, our former handy man moved out of state. I loved that guy. Hubby is good if I just need muscle...


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## Ninja Goats (Sep 6, 2011)

Well I've been wanting a stand forever. We had time and I told hubby I knew how to make the deck, just didn't know what to use for the legs. So we walked out to the barn and spotted those posts in the lumber pile. And I was like OK lets do this NOW! Woooo!!!! He was less excited but I convinced him. It probably would have gotten put off for another day if we didn't have all the materials. And the next day it was raining all day but I still got him to help trim hooves. He kept the goat occupied while I trimmed. I was like, see so much easier!!

So overall unless I stand there and "push" stuff doesn't get done lol Once he pointed out the posts I probably could have done the whole thing myself, but he would have never heard the end of it lol. Look what I made while you were on the couch...


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## mmiller (Apr 3, 2012)

Mine have horns so I hold the goat while hubby trims.


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