# Trimming Toys



## cariboujaguar (Feb 9, 2009)

Do any of you use toys to trim feet? We get HUGE sandpaper belts from a local door company (they usually just throw them out with lots of life left) we screw or staple them to sheets of plywood and make ramps/islands etc out of them. We also buy sand, we paint a board, shake sand on it then paint over it again... it really keeps their hooves trimmed. We also took cement chunks and rocks (with no dangerous debris in them of course) and made a mountain out of them, they love it! I was wondering what you all did to keep hoof maintence up as I'm getting to the point where i can't keep up anymore and if it wasn't for these toys hooves wouldbe out of control


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I have seen stuff like this before at others farms and it is smart, and really seems to be fun for the goats. I know most use rolled roofing or shingles, but the sand paper is a great idea! Do you have any photos? Vicki


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

It may be loads of fun for the goats but it does nothing for their hooves. Get a hoof trimmer and trim their hooves on a regular basis. If the hooves are 'out of control' then look at genetics, feed, number of animals kept and/or hoof maintenance.

JMO,
Sara


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

As a natural hoof care practitioner for horses, I often advise people to use abrasive surfaces for their horses hooves to help keep them in shape. They still need to be trimmed regularly, but the abraisive pea gravels and other gravels they have to walk over often keep the soles worn down, the frogs small and thrush free, and the walls do get some wear too. It's so healthy to have abrasive surfaces for our hoofed animals feet. When my horses and goats spend much time on soft surfaces without much exercise the hooves really get out of shape fast, especially if the surfaces are also moist and poopy. I've found lots of pasture turn out, especially pasture with lots of rocky areas, works great in keeping hooves healthier between trims. I've thought about the sand paper on their toys, but haven't done it yet. I love the rock pile idea. Our domestic dairy animals probably will never get the exericise needed to completely keep their hooves worn down, but abrasive areas can help a lot with total hoof health, especially between monthly trims. 
Anita


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

It is a known fact that mountain goats don't have the problems our confined goats have so am sure that the abrasives would certainly help tho we still need to trim 
I too would like to see some pictures of your set up.


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

I think if they run and jump on a very rough surface then their feet will not grow out as fast. Now does that mean no trimming? I seriously doubt it, but you will not be trimming as often. 

I have rough bricks formed into a small hill for the baby Bores to play on because I don't want to trim their feet all the time. Plus with all the movement on our hard ground they do I am trimming less. I plan to setup some places in the kid pen that will help keep feet in check.


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Edited to sound a little nicer. :biggrin Just dumped out what I was think....Which did not come across well.


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including mysellf.

Breed dairy goats long enough and you will see that this idea may be fun but is not really that useful in keeping hooves in shape.

And before anyone asks... YES, I have tried this idea and in fact, have lots of fun toys for my babies. However, I would NEVER use rock or cement piles as a toy. I have seen too many goats get their feet caught and injured with this type of 'toy'.

To each their own.

Sara


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

You are 100% right that is why we are all here to share. 

Interesting my mother had these ‘toys’ setup as she raised goat for almost 20 years and her ground is softer than soft. She always had good luck with them. Perhaps other factors play into this. Diet and ground may affect the softness of the hoof more than I was thinking. Since her ground is soft maybe the hoof stayed softer which made the sandpaper like surface work. She used lots of cement and shingles and a few other cool things my dad made up.

All good food for thought. I look forward to experimenting with all this at my place. For now I just have my brick mountain which is not really made of bricks, but the best way to describe it.


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## Qvrfullmidwife (Oct 25, 2007)

How do you keep your goats from eating shingles or sandpaper?


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I have been wanting to make something for my goats to play on, but haven't done it yet (but they get to go on walks, which is great fun to them). I did notice my goat's feet didn't get overgrown as quickly when I was taking them for walks on a dirt road with lots of grit an rock. I'm a stickler about feet though, on my horses and my goats. I just can't stand them to be at all overgrown. Imagine going around in uncomfortable shoes you could never take off!


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

OH you are right Sara on just a pile of rocks that part would worry me too but the sandpaper and big boulders would be nice.


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

LeeAnne you have to really glue down whatever you are going to use so they cannot get a corner up. Then you are 50% there because if the goat really wants to chew there is not much stopping them. :biggrin

I prefer to make my own instead of using store bought stuff.


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

I have a few huge boulders in our baby and yearling pens. They are so big that we have to use our Bobcat to put them in the pens... no way are they going to move from where we set them. I also have several cement culverts for them to play in and on top of. The babies amuse themselves all day long. 

My baby area is better than Six Flags. 

Sara


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## goatdad (Mar 5, 2009)

I have several pallets that I have put plywood over and done the paint and sand thing with. It does work well. I have found that if you use epoxy concrete paint they last a lot longer then using standard exterior paint


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## ChristinaF. (Dec 2, 2008)

Six Flags for goats....that's cute!  I was just thinking last nightof moving some rocks into our baby pasture this spring. Lord knows we have plenty of boulders to choose from!

Christina


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

We have a "cement thing" in our goat pasture that has a flat top on it. The goats run across he pasture and jump up on that and slide to a stop. It helps with their feet, but yeh, like you say still have to trim.


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2009)

Sara I like the culvert idea. Hmmm now where can I find some cheap. :rofl


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## haeema (Jan 18, 2008)

all are very good ideas........don't mind if I borrow ?????


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## megan (Nov 10, 2008)

Yep, I will be looking for some cement culverts too.


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## stoneyheightsfarm (Jan 19, 2008)

We have a ton of limestone rock outcroppings, all wooded. In the summer when the goats go eat leaves off the trees in this, their hooves definitely are easier to trim. Right now with nothing fun to eat on the rocks and them getting lazy with their pregnancies and laying around more, their hooves look like they could be trimmed every 2 weeks rather than every month! Now, the deer that browse in this terrain (further back on our property) keep some really nice smooth hooves, but nobody is bringing them alfalfa hay or grain, either.  I think if I had Boers, I'd want to fence out the woods we have and let them grow out mostly on that and don't think I'd be doing much hoof trimming during the summer months...


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## cariboujaguar (Feb 9, 2009)

I would love to share my pictures of my ramp systems, but I can't get into off topic yet, and pics can't be posted anywhere else... so when I'm at 100 and can post pics I will... We have 4 sections of cement culvert and can't wait to use them!!! once I do I'll post pics of that too....

Sarah, our rock pile is poured OVER with cement so the craks are filled in and rocks can't settle....

And for everyone thinking I intended to NOT trim ever again... that's not what I meant  I just wante something to prolong trims and make them easier. We're in a very very wet area and I have to trim 2 goats a day to keep up... it stinks (literally lol)


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## Douger (Feb 1, 2009)

i have a larger sand stone rock which is naturally there mine climb all over and some block stacked up for them to climb on iv seen in Ohio plywood ramps shingled for the goats to run up and down on i check my goats hoofs monthly but very seldom have to trim


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2009)

If you want to email me the pictures I can put them up. 


Troy


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## cariboujaguar (Feb 9, 2009)

I'm only two posts away from being able to... and the pics are on my currently 'down' computer that is undergoing some rehab... but I'll post them soon... thanks so much for the offer though!!!


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