Blacksmith for Trimming Goat Hooves?

Question

Does anyone know of a blacksmith that would trim goat hooves. My friend lives in the Western New York area, specifically Fredonia, New York. Thank you everyone!

Answer 1

I have several goats and only use a pair of diagonal plierss to trim the hooves when required. I just lay the one jaw of the plier parallel with the pad of the toe and the other jaw outside and clip clip and snip snip and its over and no vet bill. The vets around here told me to try this first then if it didn't work bring the goat in.

Also if you can find a mixture of iodine and alcohol this is the medication for hoof rot (if you have one limping on sore toes). Just squirt this solution on the foot for 3 or 4 days and see if it makes a differance. But you'll have to trim and clean it up first. Also I keep some of this just incase I trim too much and cause a little cut.

Good luck and Good Goating

Answer 2

Your friend might be able to get a vet to come out to do it, but I sorta doubt a farrier would do so.   Your friend can also learn to do it themself, if they are interested.

Answer 3

WHY does your friend want someone else to do this job?

Trimming goat hooves is pretty easy.  If your friend has a large buck, then that can be a difficult and smell job.

I have over 100 goats.  My husband and I trim the hooves ourselves.

Your friend needs to look at the Priemer One catalog and start learning how to trim those hooves him/her self.

If they are afraid to trim the hooves themselves, without someone experienced showing them how-to first, then there is also a way around that.  

Have them contact their local Ag Extension office.  Their phone number will be in the blue pages (Government) section of the phone book.  Go down to the Ag Extension office and ask who the local 4H leaders for goats are.  Contact one of the 4H goat group leaders and explain that lessons are needed.  As a way of thanking the 4H leader offer to buy pizzas for the entire 4H group next time the meet.  Usually groups are 10-30 children.

You could also offer to hire one of the older, more experienced children, if your friend is unable to perform the job themselves.

If your friend breeds goats, and is having serrious hoof problems, they really need to start culling their herd for this.

When I first started to raise goats I also had sheep.  Someone told me that hoof problems could be culled for, and eliminated from the herd.  I thought to myself, "Well that's a HUGE bunch of manure.  Hooves just need to be trimmed, and taken care of."

Then one day when I was shearing the sheep I'd owned for about four years at that point, it very suddenly dawned on me that I'd NEVER trimmed the hooves on the sheep, and they had perfect hooves.

So I made that one of the things I selected for in my breeding program, along with good mothering ablities, udder attachment, health, ect.

Guess what?  I now have almost no hoof problems in my herd.  Over 100 goats, and it's rare for me to need to trim a hoof.

Please copy this, and give it to your friend.  Have them contact me if they have questions.  Note:  I'm in the process of moving my farm 900 miles, to another state.  I may be quiet slow at responding, especially after we pack the computers.  

If I do not respond, ask them to save their email, and send it to me once a week or so, until I do respond.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Raising meat goats since 1999

Horse owner over 30 years, horses barefoot, and rarely trimmed over 15 years (even horses can be managed to not need trimming).  I endurance ride and put many, many miles on my horses...their health and saftey is a priority for me.  Their feet are beautiful, along with my goats.