Hoof Trimming

[talldog]

How many of you have to trim feet? What Breed do you have ??

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I don't trim feet. I have Limousin, but would not trim feet on any breed.

 

[SmallOhioFarm]

I don't trim feet. I have Limousin, but would not trim feet on any breed.

Could you explain why please?

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

I don't trim feet. I have Limousin, but would not trim feet on any breed.

Could you explain why please?

Probably because its a defect or a feed issue. Either case they would be down the road as no feet trimming here. You either produce and have good structural soundness in feet and legs or your gone quicker than you can blink.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

If i have a cow that needs her feet trimmed, she goes to the sale barn. We have enough rocky ground and hills that a cow should keep her feet wore down on her on. Bad feet is not some thing i need in my cow herd.

 

[snickers]

well we don't trim feet either and I thought maybe we were wrong in not doing that, we have never had any feet or leg problems. A couple might have long toe's at some time but they always wear them down without trimming.

 

[chippie]

We have our Jersey cows feet trimmed because they grow quickly because of the high protein lactation feed and our ground is soft. We haven't had a problem with the beef cattle. They are primarily on pasture and hay. However when we have heifers or steers that are being fitted for show, their feet are trimmed about every 4 to 6 months.

 

[dun]

Had a 6 year old cow that the outside shell of the hoof grew over the sole. Still raised a dandy calf but she was slow getting aorund and had a hitch in her gitalong. Trimmed the foot last month she's quit the gimpy stuff but as soon as the cull cow price goes up she'll be on the kill truck.

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

Had a 6 year old cow that the outside shell of the hoof grew over the sole. Still raised a dandy calf but she was slow getting aorund and had a hitch in her gitalong. Trimmed the foot last month she's quit the gimpy stuff but as soon as the cull cow price goes up she'll be on the kill truck.

I hear ya on that.

 

[Double R Ranch]

I have trimmed cattle hooves now. When we have cattle up for breeding (ai) they stay in a very soft corrals. Sometimes they stay up for a month or more depending on the situation. There feet grow naturally and in soft ground they can't get worn down. Add a lot of weight ontop of it and you get a lame cow. We have trimmed these cattle because as soon as we turn them out they start to break off and get lame on me. It isn't worth having the loss of gain on the cow or calf it may be nursing because she spends a week crippled because her hoof broke off short and it's sore. If I trim the length off they walk out sound and don't have a problem until the next time they are on soft ground for to long. Same with our show steers and the meat steers that we keep on feed on soft ground.
I have notice people on here are so quick to judge people asking about hoof trimming. Not everyone has hard rocky ground to wear there cattles feet down on. Especially with cattle getting fed hot feed to up fertility, milk production etc. I don't know how many dairy's here use a regular trim guy.
If the hoof problem was a disfigurement or something like that I would cull for that reason but I won't cull a cow because she isn't on adiquit ground to wear her hooves down.
Oh and to answer the second ? We have registered and commercial angus, a couple herefords and a charlet. All have had the same problems over the years and most are not related.
Double R

 

[SmallOhioFarm]

Thank you all for answering my question

Same with our show steers and the meat steers that we keep on feed on soft ground.

How often do you do the show and meat steers? I am guessing once maybe? Mine are always on soft bedding and I had one last year get lame front feet. He wouldn't even stand on it, we had to send it to the butcher early. I noticed it early on but didn't get the trimmer out to trim it. You could watch him and he started to walk on the back of his hoof. It got worse and worse till he just didn't want to walk any more then he had to. With this new group I was wondering If I should just do it, but it cost me $25 a head to get done? I think I should probably just watch them and only do as needed?

 

[Double R Ranch]

Thank you all for answering my question

Same with our show steers and the meat steers that we keep on feed on soft ground.

How often do you do the show and meat steers? I am guessing once maybe? Mine are always on soft bedding and I had one last year get lame front feet. He wouldn't even stand on it, we had to send it to the butcher early. I noticed it early on but didn't get the trimmer out to trim it. You could watch him and he started to walk on the back of his hoof. It got worse and worse till he just didn't want to walk any more then he had to. With this new group I was wondering If I should just do it, but it cost me $25 a head to get done? I think I should probably just watch them and only do as needed?

It all depends on the animal and the feed. We don't have to do our meat steers at all unless we keep them up and decide to turn them out. The show animals we want to have a nice foot not cracking so maybe once or twice in it's life.
Sorry to hear about your steer. That stinks. If it were me I would only do as needed. But think in advance. If one looks like it will be a problem do them at the same time as the ones with problems. If its just long toes hack them off yourself. Just my opinion. They sell nippers. You can use cow or horse nippers or even hand trimmers for goats sometimes works.
Hope this helps,
Double R