Baby goats Hooves

[Horsefly]

I have 2, month and a half old babies and their feet are already looking like they are getting overgrown. It's been really wet and mushy lately so maybe they haven't been wearing the hooves down like usual? At night they are locked in the dry stall but can go in and out in the mush all day. Is this normal? The other goats are in need of trimming to.

 

[lilhill]

With all the wet weather we've been having here, I'm trimming more often. Just trim their feet when they need it. I usually get the babies used to having their feet trimmed at around the age of your babies.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

We have our first kids now and I was surprised at how early they needed to be trimmed. I've practiced a few times anyway because, like lilhill said, it's good to get them used to it early.

And boo to the wet/cold weather!

 

[Horsefly]

Okay, just making sure it wasn't something abnormal.

 

[Ariel301]

Yes, it sounds normal. The earlier you get them used to restraint and foot handling, the easier it is to train them, since they're little enough you can still overpower them. I learned that the hard way with my buck...he's an absolute sweetie and very gentle when I just visit with him in his pen, but we did not tie him up, put him in the milkstand, or trim his feet until he was a few months old, and already stronger than me, so now he knows he can fight me over it and win if he doesn't want what I am doing.

 

[Horsefly]

I pick up their feet pretty regularly and they are pretty good with it.
I had a new question now and didn't want to start a new thread. When should the umbilical cord fall off? It came off the girl but the little buck still has a dried cord on him. I have felt around it and it doesn't feel like it's starting to come off or anything yet. It seems it should of been long gone by now they are almost 2 monhs old.