# Can trimming hooves or copper bolusing help an LA score?



## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Viewing many goats' LA scores, you can see some scores change over the years. Vs turn to Es, or Es may go back down to Vs....
That made me wonder if things such as trimming hooves regularly can help improve the Linear Appraisal score for Feet or Legs. Maybe the goat was noted for splayed toes or something, can trimming that goat's hooves regularly help fix the problem and improve future scores?
Then what about condition of the goat. 
Many of us know that copper deficiency, or other vitamin deficiencies affect the goat negatively, sometimes causing dry udders, crooked legs, or weak pasterns.
Can bolusing improve scores in Legs, Udder Texture, and Feet?

Maybe they aren't tricks of the trade, but just wise husbandry. 
Is there anything else, in caring for the goat, that can help improve LA scores, and prevent low scores, in certain categories?


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Just about every area of husbandry can affect your LA scores. Yes, hoofcare is important.. I improved my toggenburgs hoof score from A to + (she has crappy feet, the poor dear) with trimming. I have to trim her hind feet very often. They turn under. But a goat with great genetics can get a crappy LA score because of husbandry. You have to feed the genetics to get them to shine for you. But by that I don't just mean food


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

It makes sense. I've seen goats in real life that really did not impress they way their show photos do. One thing I work really hard at the past few years is to keep mine looking their best year round. When you are in business selling goats, you are always at a show. You just can't take for granted that people will overlook coats and feet and variations in condition due to time of year, weather conditions, the fact you have other things going on, etc. and it is easier to maintain than catch up.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Absolutely.

And every goat going to a show or appraisal should have their feet trimmed! (I have seen goats go to a show without having their feet trimmed...grr. The judge picked up that doe's foot and saw how long it was and said she probably would have placed better if she weren't trying to walk on long toes which made her legs move funny.)

Scores also depend on how the appraiser sees things, as it is still just one person's opinion (even though it is pretty standardized).

I haven't seen very many toggs with good feet-actually I can't even think of one, though I'm sure there are some. Alpines tend toward not that great of feet, too. Only 2/5 of my adults got V's, the rest +'s this year. All 3 jr's got V's, not sure if they will get worse as they age or not...


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Well Vs are really good for feet in Alpines, Nancy 
Considering how As and +s are more common.
Of course, nothing is better than an E in feet.

Does anybody want to give examples of their own goats and scores?


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Nancy can you email me your Alpines' full LA scores? And the numbers for each trait also: [email protected].

How do you like your Speed daughters?


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Sure. I think I have it scanned in the computer. I am suppose to be getting a typed up report sometime soon, I think. It may be a few days, as I'm busy getting ready for market today-it's tomorrow, and then have several other things to get done. I'll get it to you though.

Yeah, V's for alpine feet are pretty good-I only had 2 goats with E feet (Ec), both Nigerian kids. The alpines that got V's on their feet were Flora and Moose. Flora did not have a single structural category under a V!  And she appraised VEEE 90 at over 12 months fresh. The appraiser said she didn't look stale, so did not code her as such.  

I'll get you those scores in the next few days.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

And yes, LOVE my Speed daughters! I am so thankful that Tracy let me bring Fawn up to breed to him last fall. They both were V+ overall on youngstock appraisal. The appraiser really liked my alpine kids (those two and Twist). They are both BIG girls! They are each 75 lbs at 4.5 months old. I bet they'll top 100 around 7 or so months.  Both Fawn and Speed are large goats.


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## wheytogosaanens (Oct 26, 2007)

There is an excellent book "Nanny Manicures" that can really help improve your goats' feet. How you trim is very important - incorrect trimming over time can cause a goat to go down in their pasterns etc etc. A good trim job can really highlight their strengths as well.

When we first started in Goats, another breeder told us about the book and said that just by improving her feet trimming - via the book - she started going 1st 2nd and 3rd in the classes, rather than 6th 7th and 8th - same goats.


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## Golden Delta Alpines (Mar 8, 2012)

Wow, those are excellent results from trimming hooves correctly. 
I know you are supposed to trim parallel to the coronary band, I wonder what other ways would improve confo.
If I skip a trimming session, with my Alpines, I'm always trimming a lot of toe and hardly any heel. I try to trim everyone every two weeks.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Same here, Taylor. We trim almost all toe and very little heel.

And that booklet that Camille mentioned, very helpful!


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## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

Just popped on to read through some threads.....for what it's worth, I had two Alpine does here appraise with E in feet this year  Irene and Pensive, both with scores of 91.

You bet it makes a difference. Makes a difference in the show ring as well.


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