I posted before on this- but need a bit more info. We have been trimming the hooves a bit, but are now looking to buy better tools- we had been using a pair of clippers from my husband's toolbox.
I see several types of hoof trimmers, hoof planes, hoof pick/ brush... What do I need? Can I use the hoof plane and get a good result? Do you clip the dewclaw? If so how much, and how do you know when it needs it? I have looked at several diagrams and actually seen someone trim the hooves of a kid. However, now that they are growing, the hoof growth looks a lot different. I am nervous and seem to be cutting less than I need to, and more often than I should. Any recommendations on getting the goat to agree to the procedure?
Thanks in advance for your input!
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These are my favorite hoof trimmers. I've been using them for seven years (although not the same pair, because my kids keep losing them). I've never used a hoof plane, so can't comment on that. You can use a hoof pick, but I just use the tip of the hoof trimmers to get mud and dirt out of the hoof before trimming. If you're nervous about stabbing the goats, you might want to get a hoof pick/brush and use that. They're not expensive.
I don't clip the dewclaw, because it's hard to know exactly how much to clip, and unless you're showing, I'm not sure why you need to clip it. If you don't keep the hooves trimmed, though, it causes them to fall back on their pasterns, so trimming the regular part of the hoof is definitely important.
We put the goats on the milkstand for hoof trimming, eyelid checks, and anything else we need to do when we don't want them running away. Trimming once a month is not unreasonable, but if you're trimming more often than that, then you probably could be cutting off more each time. Just cut the hoof down to the skin -- a little closer than you would clip a person's fingernails.
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I don't clip the dewclaw, because it's hard to know exactly how much to clip, and unless you're showing, I'm not sure why you need to clip it. If you don't keep the hooves trimmed, though, it causes them to fall back on their pasterns, so trimming the regular part of the hoof is definitely important.
We put the goats on the milkstand for hoof trimming, eyelid checks, and anything else we need to do when we don't want them running away. Trimming once a month is not unreasonable, but if you're trimming more often than that, then you probably could be cutting off more each time. Just cut the hoof down to the skin -- a little closer than you would clip a person's fingernails.