Hoof Trimming

Today and on Sunday I worked with the goats. We've had so much hot/humid/rainy weather this spring that I needed to check everyone for worms and do some hoof trimming. Those hooves have really grown in this damp weather. Sunday was cloudy so I decided to tackle the Boers even though it was warm outside. They all got checked for worms, had their hooves trimmed and their tails trimmed. The adults were in good shape with their FAMACHA scores (FAMACHA 1, FAMACHA 2) but a few of the youngest kids needed deworming. After the meat goats were done, I did the Nubian buck, Stormy, and a doe that is in with him for breeding, Jackie. They were the easiest to do because they are so tame. You can work with them without tying or using a goat worker. In the late afternoon, I finished up with the Nigerian doe kids and the Nubian milkers. Today I started about 11 AM and did a paddock of Nigerian Dwarfs that had one buck and 15 does. Their hooves are easier to do because they are so small. Most of these cooperate well but they don't like drenching. Their previous owners used a feed additive for deworming. I've got one more paddock to do, hopefully tomorrow. This is the smallest one with one buck and 8 does. It will be good to have them all done. And, then of course, I have my personal favorite, the buck pen. I've just got a couple of breeder Nigerian Dwarf bucks down there with a few Boer buck kids waiting to be sold for meat. I always put them off until last. My soap making is coming along well. Last week I made a cornmeal scrub soap with some local cornmeal that is milled in King, NC and some Happy Camper soap which contains citronella and eucalyptus essential oils. I also poured my Nubian head, Nigerian goat and buffalo molds with goat's milk soap that is unscented. This was the first time that I used my buffalo mold. It makes a nice heavy bar that would be great for the bath. Tonight I'm going to pasteurize some goat milk to be frozen for making soap at a later date. I've just about used all that I have in the freezer and need to use some of the milk that is in the refrigerator.