When the weather got hot over the summer, we had to dive into one of the more difficult chores involved with raising goats—shaving. All that winter hair doesn’t come off by itself, and the goats get too hot wearing it, say nothing of how scraggly they look!
The nice thing about this chore is that it’s so rewarding. Just look at the difference it makes! Here’s a before and after shot of Sophia, our doe who thinks she’s a super model. She says she even looks younger with her new haircut!
Some people have asked me how we go about shaving our goats, so here’s a quick rundown of the process. First, we put the goat up on the stanchion to keep him or her still. Sometimes this can be a hassle with the young goats, as it’s all new to them, but for the more mature does, it’s no big deal. They’ve been there, done that many times, and they know there’s GRAIN waiting for them in the feeder once they are on the stanchion!
Next, I get on one side with my clippers and Gerald gets on the other side with his clippers and we go to town! Two stylists finish the job faster than one.
When we’re done clipping (smooth movements in the direction of the hair), we start trimming hooves. It’s like a regular trip to the spa. Gerald does the back feet and I do the front, cutting the extra hoof off with a pair of hoof clippers, much like trimming nails. We each do the opposite side as the other so the goat can balance and doesn’t fall down!
When the hooves are done, I brush the goat off, put on the lice powder from the head down the back to the tail, then pick up the hair and put it in a sack so it doesn’t blow all over the barn. We set the goat free and he or she steps down, looking much more beautiful or handsome than when first getting onto the stanchion—and feeling much cooler as well.
Clark, one of our bucks, was so very good to do this year. Check out his before and afters. Of course, we can’t remember a buck that wasn’t. Being male, they seem most interested in their stomachs, so as long as we keep the grain coming, they don’t care what we do with them!
Here’s Pumpkin’s before and after shots as well. She was super easy to do, being a mature doe who knows what it’s all about. Doesn’t she look smooth and wrinkle-free?
Some of the younger goats were more difficult until they got used to the whole routine. These three below, for example—Tara, Alice, and Caroline—I swear wanted MORE spa treatment once they were all done. We can’t blame them. After all, we don’t know of anyone who would do all that for us for free!
