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Post by bergere on Mar 30, 2015 12:32:49 GMT
Have clay and grass, which means, every couple of months I have to trim hooves. Would like to figure out a way to have them naturally wear their hooves down... so I will be able to just trim once a year.
Finding boulders in this area of VA for them to play on, is nearly impossible. Unless I want to pay $300++ for a small stone. Crazy, one can't find stone here.
Any other ideas?
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Post by bergere on Mar 30, 2015 14:45:13 GMT
That is a good idea,,, though I am not sure I can find any in this area? Sidewalks are really rare, even in town. Will look on craigs list, just in case!
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Post by bergere on Mar 30, 2015 17:28:22 GMT
Think I should put a want ad on Craigs list... see if I find anyone that has what I need!
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Post by Awnry Abe on Mar 31, 2015 3:33:34 GMT
Uggh. I used to do our very small commercial goat herd twice a year. It was a big job. I have yet to trim any of our sheep herd. They have been with us a year. I bet I have some real basket-case hoof work.
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Post by Callie on Mar 31, 2015 13:55:07 GMT
Pour some concrete around the water tank....rough it up really well?
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Post by PNP Katahdins on Mar 31, 2015 15:58:34 GMT
Bergere, this won't help you with your existing sheep, but anyone choosing new sheep that doesn't like hoof trimming should look for ones with black hooves if possible. Those hooves are generally harder and grow slower.
Even when we just had white commercial meat sheep, before the Katahdins took over here, our rocky pastures did a good job wearing feet down. We never trim feet. Anything that grew long toes got butchered or shipped. Founder once, they'll probably do it again.
If there are any concrete companies around, they may know where to get pieces of torn-out cement. After all, reusing is part of recycling.
Peg
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Post by bergere on Mar 31, 2015 20:04:25 GMT
I have gravel around the water tanks... but that doesn't seem to help.
Peg, I don't know why that did not occur to me. Back when I raised breeding stock sheep for fleece, most were black with black hooves and even my white sheep had dark hooves. Their pastures were pretty course sand..
most I had to do back then, was check their hooves once a year. Rarely needing a full trim.
They also had a big pile of large granite boulders to play on too, so I think that helped.
Good idea, will see if there are any concrete companies about. Am mostly surrounded by big grain farms, but maybe closer to town. Thank you!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2015 20:39:31 GMT
The door to the goat shed is 3' wide. I bought a bag of cement (not premix), mixed it with crushed rock (4 parts rock, 1 cement) to make a rough surface. Laid it down right outside the door, 3' square, 6" slope away from barn, as an approach and worked it out. Took the garden rake and left 1" deep grooves in it cross ways. Between the crushed rock and the rough surface from the rake, we don't need to trim. I check once a year, may trim 1 foot....James
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Post by Bear Foot Farm on Apr 1, 2015 4:52:21 GMT
I put 2' X 2' X 2" concrete blocks around the the waterers and in front of stall doors.
It costs more than pouring a pad but they are portable
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Post by PNP Katahdins on Apr 1, 2015 21:13:37 GMT
There's Michael Bear Foot! Another one I've missed so much!
Peg
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Post by Bear Foot Farm on Apr 2, 2015 2:24:20 GMT
There's Michael Bear Foot! Another one I've missed so much! Peg Why, thank you kindly Ma'am  It's nice to see you also |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2015 23:58:13 GMT
The path to my barn is paved with gravel. That's helped keep everyone's hooves worn down. Also have a lot of boulders but they don't necessarily visit them every day.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2015 13:44:04 GMT
My sheep have dark hooves, we don't get out of trimming, but we do have very soft pasture. I'm considering the gravel walkway method myself.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2015 18:34:50 GMT
Picking up my tilt table tomorrow. I know it's a cop out but my back can't take my 300 pound ram laying all over me while I pick those feet up anymore. Actually, most of mine don't need trimmed (there's always a few) but he stays penned when he's not breeding so no wearing down of the hooves for him.
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Post by bergere on Apr 23, 2015 19:25:48 GMT
Got one response to my want ad.... those folks had some boulders. They said they had boulders and I asked what they would charge and size? They Asked me what I wanted them for, told them, for my sheep and goats to play on, to keep their hooves trimmed. Silence, no response... so I emailed back... still silence. Like ok, why would they email me, letting me know they had boulders they needed to get rid of... I tell them why I needed them not that it should matter. Guess they don't want goats and sheep playing on their pretty rocks?  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2015 22:15:27 GMT
LOL bergere! People just don't "get" hooves and happy animals, do they? We have rocky "soil" here (more like dirty rocks), and that seems to help with the sheep's hooves. Not so much with the goats, but the goats do get a lot more grain than the sheep, so their hooves grow out quickly. |
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