Why do you need to trim the hooves?
Goats that live in the wild usually wear down their hoofs. Pet goats or dairy goats, on the other hand, are usually kept in yards or pens and are not out climbing rocky mountains all day. It is important to maintain the hooves of your goat so the leg and foot do not become deformed and/or painful. Also regular hoof trimming will keep the bottom of the hoof open so infection/rotting will not be as likely to happen.
Photo of a hoof that needs to be trimmed.
Overview
Hooves need to be trimmed about every 2-4 months but it depends on the goat and what you are feeding. The more grain and alfalfa you feed the faster the hooves grow. The hoof should not be curled over; if it is then it needs to be trimmed. Trim the outside part of the hoof so that it is level with the rest of the hoof. I use lamb footrot shears made by Burgon & Ball but you can use other brands. Be sure to keep the receipt just incase they do not work. I went through two hoof trimmers until I found a third one that worked. The bigger breeds of goats have tougher hooves and are harder to trim so you may need to find an even heftier hoof trimmer. Smaller goats are easier to trim. Baby goats or kids have soft hooves and you must be especially carful not to trim off to much or they will bleed.
- In this photo the top toe has already been trimmed and the bottom toe has not.
How to trim the hooves
To begin place your goat in a milk stand with grain or have someone hold the goat for you. Take the hoof firmly in your hand like the photos above. I like to start at the tip of a toe on the outside of the hoof and work my way up. You can decide to trim the left or right toe of the hoof first, it does not matter.
It is okay if it takes you a few cuts. After you have removed some of the hoof, use the tips of your trimmers to clean out any debris inside the hoof.
After you have picked the hoof clean you can see a little better. Continue trimming until it is even with the bottom of the hoof. You must be careful not to trim off too much of the sides or you will make the toe bleed. Always have Kwik Stop (a powder that when applied to a nail/hoof that is bleeding, the powder clots the blood and makes the bleeding stop) by you when you trim the hooves. You can buy Kwik Stop or some other brand of styptic powder for dog nails at a pet store.
Remember to trim the inside of the toe too and also the other toe of the hoof. When I have finished trimming both sides of both toes I like to trim a little off the tips of each toe. This helps to keep small rocks and other debris out of the hoof as it grows back out. When you are done trimming, your goal is to have the sides of the toes even with the bottom of the toe/hoof. Repeat these steps until all four hoofs (or all 8 toes) are trimmed. If you have any questions please leave a comment below.
