One good thing about constant rain........

[here to stay]

The goatie feet are so much easier to trim. I just did the girls and there was so little pressure needed on the clippers that it was done lickity split. Hooray.

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The rain hasn't been so kind to us. My buck has hoof problems. I put down dry bedding in the barn every day but that one goat just won't stay on it...he wants to gallivant out in the muddy areas. First goat I ever had with a hoof issue...the poor boy doesn't want to walk on it at all and now he's eating less than he should as well. Also worrying about parasites... it hasn't been cold enough to kill them off. I keep watching them with a nervous eye waiting for someone to have a problem.

[here to stay]

I understand hoof rot. Every trimming comes with a squirt of iodine on each foot. All year long. Then by the end of summer I have it pretty cleared up so they can start downhill again come the rain.

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Fortunately I don't have to trim our goats hooves often because we have so many rocks, but our buck was a new guy and he came with pretty crazy hooves. I'd never thought to use iodine on their feet after trimming unless I made one bleed (and so far I've only done that once)....but I might have to start using it every time with him. Perhaps he's more susceptible to hoof problems than my girls.

[here to stay]

I have noticed that many of mine go through a period of w orse hoof rot for a year or two then seem more resistant to it.

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Well I've discovered something helpful for the issue. I started giving the affected buck a hoof bath in a container of diluted tea tree oil once a day while he ate a snack. I used about a dropper full to two cups of water. He was walking on his knuckle when I started and by day three he was up on his hoof with no limp. I've continued it for a week to be sure. Tea tree oil is both anti bacterial and anti fungal with the extra benefit that it wicks moisture away from the surface its applied to. Thought I'd just pass it along.

[here to stay]

Thanks. I always am looking for a new thing to try for it.

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We have issues with hoof scald in the sheep in wet and muddy weather. I bet that what your guy has over hoof rot. I will remember the tea tree oil. Keeping it dry enough to heal is the challenge with this weather.
Wet weather does certainly help with trimming but I can do without the mud!

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My sheep are pretty resistant to hoof issues. Shetlands tend to be easy to manage in the hoof department. My other goats won't dream of going out in the mud...they stay on the dry bedding in the barn if it's too wet out, but this one little dude just gets bored in there or something. He's got to go out wandering around. He's an Oberhasli...the only one of the breed I've had so far. I hear they are less afraid of the rain and mud than other breeds. Yay...lol