You’ve been doing great taking care of your new goats, and now it’s time to learn how to trim goat hooves!
(yay!) Welcome to farm life.
If you’re new to goat world, then you’ve come to the right place! Caring for goats just happens to be one of my specialties. About 6 years ago, we made the switch to raw goat’s milk and have never looked back. My kids (ages 9 & 11) milk our 3 family goats morning and night, and I jump in when it’s time to care for their other needs such as blood testing, herbal de-worming, breeding, trimming goat hooves, etc.
It’s important to trim your goat’s hooves every 3-4 months to help avoid hoof rot (a buildup of manure & dirt that breaks down the hoof), and help your goat’s legs stay aligned.
Supplies needed for Trimming Goat Hooves:
- Stanchion to hold goat
- Goat Hoof Trimming Shears
- a helper
Now, let’s learn how to trim goat hooves!
At what age do you need to start trimming feet? I have 3 three month old babies, do their feet need to be trimmed?
I know their feet are still growing.
Hi Dani-
You can start trimming goats’ feet as early as one month, but I like start between 2-3 months of age. I hope that helps!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hi! How do you treat hoof rot naturally? It appears one of our goats has about a 1/2 inch little spot of possible rot.
Hi Brit-
I’m sorry about your goat getting the hoof rot. This article has some very good treatment methods listed and described: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/foot-rot-and-foot-scald-in-goats-and-sheep
Best of luck with your goat.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thank you so much for this. We are looking into getting goats and we are getting to know everything about them because of this website. We found this page very interesting and helpful! Thank you!
LOVE your blog and the fact that you link where to purchase tools etc. Seriously love that I can get the stuff on Amazon!! I am getting ready for my 2 girls (Nigerian dwarfs) to come in a few weeks, and thanks to your blog, I am feeling very prepared!
Hi Courtney-
Thanks so much for the kind words! So exciting that you are getting some new goaties! Enjoy them and best of luck! Happy Goating! -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Thank you so much for your time and sharing of all your learning experiences. I hope to one day very soon be able to raise goats for milk,cheese, and fun. I live in Glendale, Az right now but hope to move where I can raise goats, and chickens both. When I do, I will be looking back on all your videos again!
Thank you!! It is about that time…your blog offers so MUCH, so thankful to have found it!!
I always LOOK here first!!!! Anything you suggest for tools that I can get on AMAZON I get through clicking right on your blog!!!
Thank you so much, Lori, for saying that! It makes my day!
Can you use scissors or a pocket knife ?
Hi Evan! No, you need to use hoof clippers:)
0 0I have always wodeernd about this! I take kids to a summer camp with a petting zoo and those creepy eyes have always freaked me out. Kids on the other hand, usually want to know if they can have eyes like that.
Yeah I had a couple girls with very bad feet just a couple of weeks ago NUBIANS oh man they were nasty when I got them home and had them a week or two they were not nice not easy to milk and not easy to trim hoofs. but the people I got them from didn’t really take care of them either so now they are gone and I am getting a baby OBERHASLI also known as the Swiss Alpine to breed with my pure bred LAMANCHA BOY.
both goats are both pure bred goats but I will be inter crossing them to each other when they are old enough to breed the 2 best breeds of milking goats make them even better.
Wish my boys (16 & 12) would milk for me!! 🙂 I too love my goats, Peanut Butter & Marshmallow.
Inever think of great names like that! PB & Marshmallow!!! LOVE IT!!
Who can see your instruction??? That damned ad blocks what you are doing GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
OK it eventually did go away – good thing