Foot Scoring

[gizmom]

I am very glad that the Angus Association is adding this to the data that is being collected.

http://www.angus.org/performance/footscore/footscoreposter.pdf

We have to start someplace.

gizmom

 

[bse]

It is a start, I think theres to much room for error, the way I see it and they way someone else does may not be the same. There will probably be alot of perfect footed cattle on the way. Maybe let a vet fill it out, but that can all be misleading also.

 

[gizmom]

I agree it is going to be very subjective, but if people really use the guidelines and give their honest opinion they aren't going to be off by much. Face it there is a lot of difference in the fig. 1 and fig 9 but still easy to see a difference in 8 and 9. I have two cows that are a 9 and they are going to get a trip to town because of it. They are both out of the same sire and both out of cows that have never had foot issues, one was a 2000 model the other a 2005. Both the cows that are gong to town are 2010 models. The only way to cure these hoof issues is to trim their feet right behind the ears.

gizmom

 

[AllForage]

From what I have read seems more like treating the symptom instead of the problem.

 

[bse]

Gizmon the trim behind the ears will surely fix those 2 animals, but as 2010 models they should have 3 calves each, so do those 6 get trimmed behind the ears? I really dont know but assuming its genetic, was these 2 the only ones out of the bull?
If everyone would judge these animals fairly it could improve things, are you gonna turn these animals in before slaughter, it should reflect in there calves in my way of thinking. Angus Australia already has alot of bulls with this EPD, I hear the Aussies are real particular on feet and legs. Dont get me wrong id like to see it work, another tool to help with decisions.
A cow with bad feet matched to a good footed bull, will it improve the calf?

 

[gizmom]

bse,

The two cows will be scored and data sent to the association prior to them heading to town. We watch our cattle for foot and leg issues and honestly didn't see this on these two cows until this past week. We did retain a heifer calf from one of these cows and so far her feet look fine. I found the following article, it was written back in 1996 but I found it to be interesting.

Improved Foot Health: Genetic and Management Implications22 September 1996 - See more at: http://www.thecattlesite.com/articles/6 ... 3LCqc.dpuf

I think scoring will help, but I also think it is going to be time consuming to do it properly. You can't see the hoof well enough when out in the pasture, you need to get the cow into an area that you can see. Like you said another tool, if used properly it could help.

gizmom

 

[Nesikep]

When we started out we had a bunch of cows with TERRIBLE hooves.. and a couple with good hooves.

25 years and 4 or 5 generations later, the descendants of the bad hooved cows have good hooves, about on par with the ones that started out good..

I now have only a couple cows that ever need a little trim every couple years.. and it largely depends on how much time they spend penned up and not moving much.

 

[bse]

I like your answer, that you will turn that in on your cows, kinda my point I dont think most would, but thats on them.
Im not sure either way if dairy and beef would compare because of feeding, but by the article and what Neskip says there seems it can be done over time.
If a seller would do this on there yearlings when the bse is done before a sale, it wouldnt matter how much straw they were standing in, just dont think the ones with 400 bulls to sale will be willing to cut there own throat.

 

[Andyva]

A cows pasterns will fall with age. This will cause the claw to change it's growth patterns. Feed and mineral have huge impacts on feet. While it would be good to strive to have animals whose feet held up over time, culling a line of calves out of a cow who's pasterns dropped when she was ten would be like getting a new husband because his belly dropped when he was 50. You can put fancy scoring systems on a lot of things, but if there aren't judges traveling around recording these scores it's just an artificial replacement for having someone come out and take a look at your herd and purchase animals based on what they see.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Looks like a good chart..one of my best footed cows, came from one of the worst...

 

[djinwa]

A cows pasterns will fall with age. This will cause the claw to change it's growth patterns. Feed and mineral have huge impacts on feet. While it would be good to strive to have animals whose feet held up over time, culling a line of calves out of a cow who's pasterns dropped when she was ten would be like getting a new husband because his belly dropped when he was 50. You can put fancy scoring systems on a lot of things, but if there aren't judges traveling around recording these scores it's just an artificial replacement for having someone come out and take a look at your herd and purchase animals based on what they see.

Maybe that's why they say in the link provided that they will adjust the scores for age.