Ky hills
Well-known member
Like I mentioned in another post I made this morning, the weather wasn't freezing cold or rainy so I must have paid more attention to details this morning. When feeding our heifers and steer calves (most of them purchased) this morning I noticed a heifer that was walking labored like. Her front hooves were grown out long and the toes starting to crisscross each other. I haven't seen a calf that young have that kind of grown out hooves like that for many years. That was from a Hereford steer years ago that was said to have been foundered. The calf now is a commercial Angus heifer. I have been feeding them about 8 lbs roughly total per day since its been cold, little less before. Broken up into two times a day, This calf weighs 600+ and was purchased in a group of 8, the other calves from that group and from other purchases or homeraised ones don't show any signs of feet issues. I am hoping that it is just an isolated instance and will cull her out. I have seen older cattle like that but that young seems unusual.