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COLLECTION: GOAT HANDBOOK
ORIGIN: United States
DATE INCLUDED: June 1992
Extension Goat Handbook
This material was contributed from
collections at the National Agricultural Library.
However, users should direct all inquires about the
contents to authors or originating agencies.
DOCN 000000046
NO F-3
FEET AND LEGS
G. F. W. Haenlein R. Caccese; U. of Delaware, Newark
D. L. Ace; Pennsylvania State U., University Park,
PA
Anatomy and Physiology
Structure
Feet of goats are pair-hoofed (ungulates) as in other
members of the zoological order of artiodactyla. The
fore-knee of goats is called the carpus joint, resembling
the wrist of people. Below it follows the cannon or
metacarpus bone (people's hand bones) while above
are, in vertical alignment, the radius and ulna bones
(lower arm), almost totally fused into one. This is
the extent of the visible part of the foreleg of goats
while the part resembling the upper arm of people
above the elbow, the humerus bone, is not a free apendage
in goats, similar to sheep, cattle or horses, for
example. Yet, the humerus must be tightly attached
to the ribcage so to provide the goat with maximum
support. A loose attachment gives the appearance of
''wing shoulders'', i.e. a visible distance between
elbow and body proper, resulting in weakness and fatigue
on standing and thus shortened feed intake and reduced
milk production.
1 The bones of the goat's hindleg
(pelvic limb) are similar to those of the foreleg
(thoracic limb) in a number of details. The invisible
upper hindleg bone is called femur ending in the knee
joint called ''stifle'' which is also not free from
the body proper. Then follow the fused tibia and fibula
bones into the hock joint or tarsus. Below it is the
cannon or metatarsus bone. As in the case of the foreleg,
it is very important for productive goats to have
the hindlegs in overall perpendicularly vertical alignment
with the legs parallel flat to the body and strongly
attached. Evidence to this desirable condition is
that the legs are not ''sickle hocked'', not walking
''under the belly'', the forelegs are not ''buckled''
in the knees, and the feet are not toeing in or out.
2 The feet of goats, as in sheep
and cattle resemble fingers and toes of people. The
third and fourth fingers or toes, called digits of
goats, are fully developed, while the second and fifth
are vestigial. The digits consists of three phalanx
bones, in line each, starting from the cannon bones,
metacarpus or metatarsus, respectively, and are externally
marked by the fetlocks or dewclaws. The phalanges
are placed ideally at a 45 angle to the cannon bones,
for optimum support of the goat. This is known as
''correct pasterns''. They should not be ''post-legged''
which is too straight, nor ''bear-pawed'' which is
a weak pastern.
3 The hoofs of goats are derived
from the skin, along with hair, horns and claws. The
horny material that covers the end of each digit is
also referred to as the claw of goats as on other
artiodactyls such as deer, sheep and cows. The claw
is composed of three basic segments: wall, sole and
periople.
4 The wall of the claw is the part
that is visible when the foot stands flat on the ground.
The inner area of the wall, the sole, is made up of
closely spaced plates of horn (lamellae). The horny
lamellae fit into the sensitive lamellae that are
produced by the connective tissue (corium). Both the
sensitive and the horny lamellae have secondary fibers
(laminae) on their surfaces which interlock among
themselves. It is in this area that the nutrition
of the wall of the hoof take place.
5 The actual growth of the claw begins
at the coronet border region, the uppermost area of
the external foot, just at the hairline of the leg.
The outer part of the coronet is covered by a brown
layer of horn, the periople. The horn grows out from
the coronet. The wall of the foot joins the sole by
a type of horn that is both lighter and softer textured
than the rest of the horn. This white line is known
as the zona lamellata. The periople is fairly extensive
in goats, covering not only around the top of the
claw, but also the entire surface of the heel, blending
in with the sole. There is no clearly visible breaking
point between the periople and the sole of the foot.
6 Foot Care Foot care in goats is
a fairly simple matter that one can readily learn,
although a conscientious effort must be made in order
to insure that the required work is done on a regular
and consistent basis. Many foot and leg problems that
goats develop are either directly or indirectly caused
by a lack of or improper trimming techniques.
7 The amount of time between trimmings
depends on several factors, such as the type of ground
on which the goats walk, their age and level of activity.
Generally, foot trimming should be done at least every
three months, although once every 6 weeks may be considered
ideal and should be the goal of the goat herd owner.
All goats in the herd, including kids that are over
two months of age should be trimmed regularly. To
allow more than 3 months between trimmings is an invitation
for the development of chronic leg problems, especially
in the pastern area, because the toes are getting
too long and the vertical alignment of the legs and
the proper angularity of the feet are changed.
8 It is always easier to trim feet
after the goats have been outside in the wet grass
of a dew laden or rain soaked pasture, as the moisture
is taken in by the hoof walls, making them softer
and easier to trim. There are also commercial preparations
that may be used to harden or soften the hoof if one
feels that this is necessary.
9 The essential tools for the trimming
job are relatively few, with the best items a set
of hoof shears and hoof knives, both with a sharp
edge; a rasp, some iodine, turpentine, copper sulfate,
formalin and gloves.
10 There are several ways of holding
or restraining a goat in order to care for her feet,
the best method being whichever works well in a particular
situation. One method is to place the goat on a milking
stand, perhaps offering a little grain or hay for
a cooperative attitude. One may best work from the
side of the goat on which she used to be milked. Doing
first the front, then the back feet reduces the goat's
fright and resistance. The front feet can be done
by drawing the leg straight out in front of the goat
or by bending it at the knee so that the foot is brought
back under the goat. The hind feet may also be extended
straight back, away from the goat or picked up and
lifted under the belly for trimming. One advantage
of working off of a milkstand is that the trimmer
does not have to bend over in order to get the job
done. He may even sit down. In this way, the milkstand
can be a real back saver, which indirectly helps the
regularity of the hoof care and the health of the
goats.
11 Another method is to merely tie
or have someone hold the goat while the feet are being
done from the ground, in the same fashion as a farrier
works on a horse.
12 Another method involves placing
the goat between one's legs in the same position used
for shearing sheep; that is, the animal is in an upright
sit ting position. This method has the advantage that
if the trimmer must work alone without the aid of
a milkstand, he still can restrain goats better than
when they are tied somewhere but do not like to stand
still.
13 The first step in trimming is
to clean off the foot, so that it will be free of
dirt, stones, rot and manure. Besides being easier
to see and more pleasant to handle, a clean foot will
not dull a knife's edge as fast as a dirty foot. The
next step is to remove any rim or excess growth from
the walls of the foot. The wall may have grown and
folded back under the foot, in which case first some
of the toe will have to be cut back so that the rim
of the wall can be removed properly. The trimming
of the wall and toe should be done with the shears,
while the heel and sole can best be cut with a hoof
knife. In using a hoof knife, care must be taken to
cut in the direction away from the goat and the operator.
The sole should be trimmed down in thin slices until
the heel, sole and wall form a flat surface upon which
the goat should stand at a correct angle of about
45. Caution must be exercised in cutting, to stop
as soon as the sole begins to take on a pinkish color.
Any further trimming goes into the ''quick'' and the
foot will begin to bleed. In that case, a disinfectant
such as iodine should be used. Turpentine will harden
the sole and may also be helpful.
14 If the goat's feet have been neglected
for some time, and the toes are very long it is usually
not practical to try and bring them back to normal
in one trimming. It is generally better to trim the
feet then more often, gradually getting back to a
proper shape, size and angle. A general rule to keep
in mind about trimming goat's feet is that the hoof's
hairline should be almost parallel to the ground and
the more often trimming is done the less time and
energy per trimming it takes, and the more well behaved
the goats will be during the trimming. Also, there
is a smaller chance of the goat developing foot problems
such as hoof rot if the owner is working with the
goat's feet regularly and frequently.
15 One of the most common problems
with goat's feet is the development of foot rot. This
disease is caused by the bacterium Fusiformis nodosus,
which is brought into an area by way of contaminated
feet, and is capable of surviving in an open field
for about 2 weeks. Generally, this problem starts
as an inflammation between the toes of the foot, later
spreading under the horn. As it continues, it causes
a separation between horn and skin, causing varying
degrees of pain and lameness.
16 In order to correct this problem,
the hoof must be trimmed back to the point of separation
from the skin. The foot should then be treated with
an antibiotic spray (chloramphenicol or tetracycline),
or soaked in a 5-10 22568349762258770000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
kept off contaiminated fields or muddy yards for at
least two weeks to avoid reinfection. A walk-through
foot bath filled with lime or saturated copper sulfate
solution aids well in maintaining sound, healthy feet
of goats; provided the foot bath is kept free of contamination
from manure, rain and run-off. Spreading superphosphate
fertilizer around the wet spots of the barn yard,
near the feed bunk, waterer and buildings also may
help. Sharp crushed stones and cinders should never
be used on the ground of goat yards since they injure
too easily the soft parts of the goat's hoofs. In
wet regions or areas with frequent rainfall it is
best to provide goats with stone or concrete walks,
pens with wooden slatted floors, and solid aprons
around the feed rack, trough and waterer so that the
goats can walk and stand as much as possible on dry
ground, especially during feeding.
17 Some foot and leg problems can
be ''cured'' by corrective foot trimming. If the hindlegs
are postlegged or too straight, it may give the foot
a better, less than 45 angle by cutting the toe not
too short. Vice-versa, a sickle-hocked leg will benefit
from frequently trimming the toes short to a greater
than 45 angle. If the legs toe out trimming the total
inner claw shorter and lower on each foot will help.
If hooves have spread claws, then cutting the inner
walls more than the outer walls on each claw, is good
corrective hoof trimming, provided it is done frequently
and in short intervals.
18 A conscientious effort in a good
foot care program will keep goats better looking,
more healthy, happy and more productive. Experience
in the care of feet of horses, sheep or cattle should
benefit the needs of goats since the principles in
foot care of either species are closely the same.
FEET AND LEGS
COLLECTION;GOAT HANDBOOK
ORIGIN;United States
DATE_INCLUDED;June 1992
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