Split Hoof

[Anonymous]

I have a cow that was limping last night and saw this morning that she has a hoof that is split from the bottom all the way up to the hairline. No signs of rot or anything like that, just a little swelling around the joint. Can anything be done to heal it or should I just ship her? She's 4 yrs old, weighs about 1400 lbs and has a Feb 1 bull calf. With prices like they are now I'll probably get rid of her, don't need that much hamburger! Just wanted to know if it might be treatable.

 

[MR3]

To answer you question I think the hoof is reparable if the coronary band isn't damaged. I have found that once the coronary band is split the hoof wont repair itself and will continue to split. The coronary band is inside the wall at the top of the hoof. It produces horn cells that form the hoof wall. Good luck!

Rod

 

[TheBullLady]

Depends on how severe the crack is, and primarily how deep. I've got cows that have cracks like you described, but are never lame. It's probably gotten into the soft tissue.

If her feet are long, trimming them will help it from splitting further. I guess it depends on how much you like the cow.

 

[Anonymous]

Foot appears to be mending and she doesn't limp anymore. Since she was the last horned cow we had we still took her and her calf to the salebarn. The pair brought $1120. Considering the length of her horns and her size, we were well pleased. Maybe prices will drop enough in a few years to replace her!