HI, I have a 3yo Nubian with an injured hoof. She obviously stepped on a sharp stick and it went in between her hoof and frog. It then worked its way through her hoof. I removed it,trimmed, and washed her hooves real well. I then sprayed some hoof treatment (made for horses) on it. She is not limping on it now but the frog has separated from the hoof, is this a concern? Will it heal if left alone? I also noticied on 1 other hoof a darkened area where the frog had also separated from the hoof? These are very small areas. She is also not giving as much milk as she has in the past, she kidded 3 weeks ago. She is maybe giving 2 quarts per milking. My other Nubian kidded 2 days after and she is giving over a gallon/ day. I am not getting enough to feed the 4 kids and am having to supplement. Could these be related? She has also been my most moody doe, even for a Nubian. Thanks, Cindy

-- Cindy (ourfamilyfarm@email.msn.com), February 23, 2001

Answers

Response to hoof problems

The milk production could be from the injuy. Any form of stress on an animal can cause a reduction in milk.

-- David in NH (grayfoxfarm@mcttelecom.com), February 24, 2001.

Cindy, try to trim the outside hoof wall up and away from the frog. This way you don't have a hole where you have the seperation, where manure will get packed into. She will grow back her wall after several hoof trims. I would check her feet at least once a week, and really the best way to tell anything with goats, is to trim the hoof level, and then stick it up to your noes. It should not smell, well anymore than manure smell :) She could have injured the area between her toes. Koppertox works great but is VERY messy! A friend of mine who has a very wet place, has been painting her does hooves with pine tar a farrier gave her, and she said their hooves are much better this year, she was having lots of trouble keeping their heels long enough. Perhaps something like that would help in this matter. I also know they sell stuff for horses that actually builds a new area lost, you could possible, clean spotlessly these holes and pack them with this material, like a resin, that then hardens and becomes their new hoof floor.

A doe milking that much would have to be on a really good nutritional program to continue to milk this much the whole lactation. And Nubains are notorius for peaking at 6 to 12 weeks post kidding with huge amounts of milk and going down just as quickly to the 6 to 8 pounds she is going to milk until late summer. Though fortunatly for the milk check they also continue to rise their butterfat!

One doe is milking a gallon a day, another more than a gallon, and your still are supplementing, the reason why you have to sell bucklings the day they are born! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 24, 2001.

Is there an odor???? If so... In cases where the frog separates, thrush can enter. Is the wound healed (scabbed over and not bleeding)? If so, a weak bleach in water solution should be applied twice per day. Just dunk her foot in it. (For horses, we just pour on straight bleach, but usually there is no visible wound left). This will work for any infection... but DON'T USE BLEACH ON AN OPEN WOUND OR RAW SKIN!!!!

You can also file down the frog a little when you file the hoof. Be gentle, and don't take too much. What you are doing is simply removing dry skin. DON'T TRY TO TRIM IT. A vet or farrier can do that if its needed, but it usually isn't.

As long as she doesn't develop a fever, everything should be fine. If there is no odor, then trim as instructed in another post, and let her be. She will be good as new in no time!

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), February 28, 2001.

If bleach or horse hoof treatments don't work, try tea tree oil. I know that it's expensive, but if you're only treating one goat especially a good milker, it's worth it!! Good luck.

-- Marcia Webber (HrMr@webtv.net), February 28, 2001.