Jersey Hooves

[Sunny Citizen]

The hooves on my 7 month old Jersey hiefer seem awfully long. (This is my first experience with calves, so I have nothing to compare.) They are longer than the hooves on my other calves. All four hooves are the same length. Some "nicks" broken out in places...looks healthy on the underside and in between.

Here are photos: http://pufferfishdesign.com/site/page/494/14 The first photo shows her hoof sunk into the soil. I have soft, sandy soil.

I don't notice any change in the way she walks -- seems to be fine. Do they need to be trimmed? Will someone come out to do one calf? Will a horse farrier do this??? Should I load her up and take her to the vets? What should I expect to pay???

Thank you!

 

[dun]

Yes the shold be trimmed, since it's all 4 I would assume it's probably from her diet (to hot or at least hotter then she should have). To all the other questions I don;t know, depends on your farrier/vet/trimmer.

 

[chippie]

We have Jersey cattle. The adult cattle hooves grow quickly because of their high protein diet. Our ground is not the type that will wear a cows hooves down. Sometimes the toes will break off, but on one cow we need to get her feet trimmed. Her hoof quality is good. They are tough!

A farrier will not do it. Contact your Extension Office and ask the 4-H agent or contact your local FFA Ag advisor (teacher) and ask them if they can give you the name of a hoof trimmer. If they have kids who show, chances are they will know of someone. Also, the trimmer may not come for one animal. When our kids were showing, the trimmer would come to the fairgrounds & everyone hauled their animals there.

A cattle hoof trimmer puts the animal on a tilt table to trim the hooves. Easy on both the person and critter. As far as price goes, it is hard to say because each trimmer has his or her own rates.

Her hooves may break off or they may just continue to grow.

Now, a disclaimer. You may get replies from people who are going to say that if her hooves need to be trimmed, you need to get rid of her because she isn't any count. Your situation is different from the average commercial cow, so it doesn't apply.

Good luck with her.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Or you can ask at any dairies you may have nearby who they use for trimming.

Katherine

 

[cowmilker]

I was going to tell you in your other thread that her hooves need to be trimmed, but decided it was none of my business. Now since you asked... It just cost me $86 to have hooves trimmed on three cows. I second the checking with a dairy idea. Craig

 

[Sunny Citizen]

Please...any and all advice is welcome. Thanks so much for all the info.

 

[TexasBred]

Please...any and all advice is welcome. Thanks so much for all the info.

Looks like a classic case of starch overload (high energy grain diet). You can trim the hooves but they will grow back. This is not a condition that gets better with time or ever goes away. The harm has been done. All you can do is keep her trimmed and hope the problem does not get worse.

 

[Nite Hawk]

jersey hooves tend to be longer and narrower than beef cattle hooves, and they tend to slip and slide more in the snow that big footed beef cattle. However it appears that not only does this jersey need a hoof trimming, but it appears from the picture that she has something called "down at the heel", meaning there is not alot of depth from the top of the back of her heel (flesh) to the ground. When they have heels like that, the toe tends to "snowshoe" ( turn up and grow longer ).
If you breed this calf, make sure and breed her to a bull that has good solid feet and good depth to his heels. It is basically a genetic thing, but can be made worse by lack of trimming and care, and it is possible that feed might be a factor that influences growth and toughness of hooves.
I have had a few Jersey's that had a low heel, and other than trimming there was nothing I could do for them, as they were born that way.
Nite Hawk

 

[Sunny Citizen]

RE: The harm has been done. (quote from above)

What did I do? (Starch overload.) Her diet has been: As a baby: colostrum, then milk replacer. Post weaning (2 months - 7 months): She's been on pasture. Hay has been available. 2 cups (kitchen measuring cups) of grain per day. Now, maybe 1 cup every other day. She got the same feed portions that my other calves got. Their hooves were not like this.

What exactly should I not do next time? (I'm new to this...I really don't know.)

 

[dun]

RE: The harm has been done. (quote from above)

What did I do? (Starch overload.) Her diet has been: As a baby: colostrum, then milk replacer. Post weaning (2 months - 7 months): She's been on pasture. Hay has been available. 2 cups (kitchen measuring cups) of grain per day. Now, maybe 1 cup every other day. She got the same feed portions that my other calves got. Their hooves were not like this.

What exactly should I not do next time? (I'm new to this...I really don't know.)

With that diet she seems to be just one of those with poor feet. Keep them trimmed and if you can on a hard surface.

 

[Nite Hawk]

You more than likely probably didn't DO anything wrong, its more than likely mostly a genetic problem, although it can be effected by nutrition, ( or the lack of nutrition) and by how well the feet are maintained or neglected.If you noticed the rest of your cattle don't have that problem, so it more than likely isn't the environment or nutritian. However, some animals may have higher nutritian requirements than others, so
it doesn't hurt to check with a animal feed person,and they might suggest something, as there may be deficiencies in the soil that may make the condition worse.
Nite Hawk

 

[suzorse]

beleve it or not, it is a Jersey thing, as all the Jerseys I have owned have had feet like that ,I have 2 now that I need to call the trimmer for ,my swiss or holstiens have not had the problem like the Jerseys Suzanne

 

[regolith]

beleve it or not, it is a Jersey thing, as all the Jerseys I have owned have had feet like that ,I have 2 now that I need to call the trimmer for ,my swiss or holstiens have not had the problem like the Jerseys Suzanne

I could almost say the opposite - though the Swiss are known for good feet and few of mine have had trouble. It's a 'known fact' that HolsteinFriesian have more foot problems than Jerseys and I didn't really believe it because I know I trim up plenty of Jerseys... till I took out all the healthy cows that were in the second herd leaving behind ten lame cows. Nine were black and white, one was a Jersey. That's usually true that if I have a group out for lameness, Jerseys are in the minority.
I don't think I've ever seen a young heifer with feet like that and hope I never do.

 

[cow pollinater]

I think TB or OG or whatever we're calling him these days nailed it. Jerseys used to have horrible feet and legs (and udders) but the breed has really exploded and they're so fertile and live in places where AI is a givin that the breed has changed rapidly and we don't see the kinds of foot angle that cause her to grow water skis much anymore.
Those aren't good pictures for seeing how she's put together but I don't think it's a type problem. She actually looks to have a pretty strong foot angle and that helps her situation.

 

[Nite Hawk]

Sometimes with pictures it can be difficult to make proper assesments of animals, as sometimes pictures are taken at different angles, which can change how things appear.
However with this heifer it appears that even though she is standing with her weight off the heel, the distance from the flesh on the heel to the ground is pretty small. (Low heel).Believe it or not I have seen worse, where the angle that the hoof leaves the flesh is pretty bad.
On top ot that, cattle can founder, although it isn't as common in cattle as in horses,which can mess up the hoof angle even more.
I don't think this heifer has foundered though,or her feet would probably look absolutely awful.
The best one can do for this heifer is to keep the toe trimmed shorter which will rock her foot up off the heel a bit, and make sure she isn't lacking any nutrient which might contribute to the problem and other than choosing a bull that has good strong feet come breeding time, there is nothing anyone can do. She will just require more maintenence than the other heifers.
Nite Hawk

 

[Massey135]

Please...any and all advice is welcome. Thanks so much for all the info.

Looks like a classic case of starch overload (high energy grain diet). You can trim the hooves but they will grow back. This is not a condition that gets better with time or ever goes away. The harm has been done. All you can do is keep her trimmed and hope the problem does not get worse.

My understanding is that because its all 4, and founder generally doesn't effect all hooves equally? that its a genetic issue? no?

 

[TexasBred]

Please...any and all advice is welcome. Thanks so much for all the info.

Looks like a classic case of starch overload (high energy grain diet). You can trim the hooves but they will grow back. This is not a condition that gets better with time or ever goes away. The harm has been done. All you can do is keep her trimmed and hope the problem does not get worse.

My understanding is that because its all 4, and founder generally doesn't effect all hooves equally? that its a genetic issue? no?

Not necessarily. Severe cases will make a cow look like she's wearing "genie shoes" on all four feet. But hind hooves are most often affected.

 

[regolith]

Even if it's genetic its more likely to show in the back hooves.

I figure any cow of mine that needs year on year trimming it's probably genetic/poor conformation and not related to the diet. Only got one of those sort of cows in the herd now though, can't really make any broad statements on one cow.

 

[TexasBred]

Even if it's genetic its more likely to show in the back hooves.

I figure any cow of mine that needs year on year trimming it's probably genetic/poor conformation and not related to the diet. Only got one of those sort of cows in the herd now though, can't really make any broad statements on one cow.

"Bad feet and legs are genetic and usually involve the entire leg. One weakness can change the entire way a cow puts her feet down while walking...sometimes hoof problems will result...some of it will be simply environmental.....BUT most hoof problems, especially long toes are caused from a poorly balanced ration and no program to correct it. The long term affect of acidosis is always reflected in the hooves. You can trim them as often as you like...they will grow back. Regardless whether hereditary or nutritional the cow usually ends up being culled.