Chat
09-09-2018, 10:01 PM
I think it's a combination of things. First off, we have a nice rock pile or two on my property and the goats love to play on them. Second, we take the whole herd for two walks a day. They're not very long walks--only about 20 minutes apiece, and we're mostly on grass--but exercise helps circulation in the hooves, which in turn strengthens the sole and walls. Stronger hooves don't need to grow as fast as weak ones which tend to crack and split and break off at the ends, stimulating the hoof to grow faster in an attempt to heal.
I've noticed my mature boys need almost no hoof trimming. Younger goats and pregnant does need it done a lot more often. Young goats' hooves grow quickly just like their bodies and they seem to need more hoof care. Pregnant does' hooves tend to weaken a lot as their pregnancy progresses because of the demands placed on their bodies by the growing fetuses. It puts a draw on their mineral and nutrient reserves, and things like hooves and hair tend to lose their condition first. During the last two months of pregnancy, a doe doesn't move as much so she needs to be trimmed more regularly to keep those weakened hooves from splitting, splaying, and curling under. If you have mostly young and pregnant goats, you will definitely need to do more hoof trimming than if you have a mature herd. I notice my fully mature does' hooves seem to hold up better even when they're pregnant.
I also have Nubian blood in most of my herd, and I've noticed that my Nubians and Nubian crosses have much stronger, lower maintenance hooves than the Alpines. My Nubian bucks had terrific hooves that rarely needed trimming even when they were young. Heck, I sold them as 2-year-olds, so they should have still been in the "need regular hoof care" category, but I didn't trim them more than every four months or so. They were hard to trim (very tough hoof walls), and they rarely needed more than a few slivers removed.
I've noticed my mature boys need almost no hoof trimming. Younger goats and pregnant does need it done a lot more often. Young goats' hooves grow quickly just like their bodies and they seem to need more hoof care. Pregnant does' hooves tend to weaken a lot as their pregnancy progresses because of the demands placed on their bodies by the growing fetuses. It puts a draw on their mineral and nutrient reserves, and things like hooves and hair tend to lose their condition first. During the last two months of pregnancy, a doe doesn't move as much so she needs to be trimmed more regularly to keep those weakened hooves from splitting, splaying, and curling under. If you have mostly young and pregnant goats, you will definitely need to do more hoof trimming than if you have a mature herd. I notice my fully mature does' hooves seem to hold up better even when they're pregnant.
I also have Nubian blood in most of my herd, and I've noticed that my Nubians and Nubian crosses have much stronger, lower maintenance hooves than the Alpines. My Nubian bucks had terrific hooves that rarely needed trimming even when they were young. Heck, I sold them as 2-year-olds, so they should have still been in the "need regular hoof care" category, but I didn't trim them more than every four months or so. They were hard to trim (very tough hoof walls), and they rarely needed more than a few slivers removed.