hoof care

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Anonymous

In the 2 1/2 years I have had cattle I have never had to care for hoofs. Now all of a sudden I have a nursing cow whose rear hoofs have become extended and appears will need to be clipped/filed. She is the only one in the herd (27) that walk "gingerly" on frozen ground. Is there a connection or a cause/effect relationship here? Any suggestions?

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only one thing i can say:

Treat those hooves!! You should do a check on the toes of every animal at least twice a year, because a cow that can't walk and is in constant pain won't eat, and if she doesn't eat, she isn't being very productive. Always have them pn good feet!

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Only thing I can say is ship her. Good feet are a necessity, so don't add to your problem by keeping a cow with bad feet. I actually had one guy try to sell me a bull that needed "trimming". No thanks.

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Every caow's feet need trimming from time to time, unless they have the opportunity and the necessity to wear their toes off. an animal that needs trimming is actually superior to an animal that doesn't need this, if it is kept in the same conditions as the ones that don't need it. Because cattle that wear off their toes slower either are better foragers, so they don't need to walk as far (which is where the wear comes from) and by not walking they preserve enrgy and grow faster or they have sturdier and harder toes, which keeps the chances for hoof infection a lot lower.

it's your call though. if you don't want to spend 20 minutes twice a year on an animal that is better, go ahead.

also animals kept in pens don't have any opportunity to wear off their toes. they must be trimmed too, twice a year (after the age of two years), so as to not affect their productivity.

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If the toes have become elongated egradually it is probably just growth, could be hard toes, could be poor angle of rear legs and weak pasterns. If they have become a pikey boot looking foot trimming them will help but not for long. Other wise trim them and hope for the best. Now as to the comment of trimming their feet twice a year. Of course, I'm only a beginner that's been at this for 40 plus years, but we have never had to trim feet. We have always selected for strong legs, pasterns and the correct hoof angle with deep heels. My old mentor ran a 600 head dairy back in the old days when that was considered a huge dairy. He never had to trim feet either.

dun

> Every caow's feet need trimming
> from time to time, unless they
> have the opportunity and the
> necessity to wear their toes off.
> an animal that needs trimming is
> actually superior to an animal
> that doesn't need this, if it is
> kept in the same conditions as the
> ones that don't need it. Because
> cattle that wear off their toes
> slower either are better foragers,
> so they don't need to walk as far
> (which is where the wear comes
> from) and by not walking they
> preserve enrgy and grow faster or
> they have sturdier and harder
> toes, which keeps the chances for
> hoof infection a lot lower.

> it's your call though. if you
> don't want to spend 20 minutes
> twice a year on an animal that is
> better, go ahead.

> also animals kept in pens don't
> have any opportunity to wear off
> their toes. they must be trimmed
> too, twice a year (after the age
> of two years), so as to not affect
> their productivity.
 
Are you feeding a high amount of grain? Some animals can't take that and will get sore footed. Are you in a warm climate? If so, could she have Blue Tongue disease? If neither of these things are true, I'd ship her. I agree with Jena, I'm not interested in a beef cow that has to be pampered by having her hoofs trimmed. And sure don't think it's proof that they are "better" than others. Good luck...

> In the 2 1/2 years I have had
> cattle I have never had to care
> for hoofs. Now all of a sudden I
> have a nursing cow whose rear
> hoofs have become extended and
> appears will need to be
> clipped/filed. She is the only one
> in the herd (27) that walk
> "gingerly" on frozen
> ground. Is there a connection or a
> cause/effect relationship here?
> Any suggestions?

[email protected]
 
don't know how you run your dairies, but in europe dairy cattle doesn't get a lot of opportunity to wear their toes off. so naturally their toes grow too long. If someone running a 600 head dairy doesn't trim the hoofs its understandable (never having to trim feet, and never trimming them is a whole different world), but i'ld like to know how much milk these cows gave. If they only give 20 litres, i wouldn't treat them either. here dairy gives about 35-50l daily on average, so good walking is necessary. Cattle with bad angled legs should be noticed without letting their feet grow. they should be thrown out anyways, no discussion.

For the record, we trim feet of dairy cows twice a year, once in the fall, when they don't go outside anymore, this way we can check for infections etc as well, and once in the spring, when they are turned back into the fields during the day, and only enter stables at night. those that have robotmilking actually do it three times sometimes, because the cows walk a lot less.

And last but not least, you probably run an extensive beef farm (i'm not sure), and then it's natural that you don't trim feet, because the cattle get to walk enough to wear their feet down.

We select cattle for good legwork as well (a bull that stands badly can't support his weight: +1200kg with bbw), but if they are kept in pens they just don't wear off, so you have to cut.

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>Still have lots of dairies in ne ohio and places that have dry lot operations trim regular, places that have enough pasture that the cows actually walk around and graze don't trim as often and the few dairies that rotate pastures and expect grazing to supply some feed value don't trimm much at all , trim or cull seems more the question, just a generality
 

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