Trimming Cattle Feet

[inyati13]

I just purchased a 15 inch diamond nippers. I trimmed the feet of about half my herd today. Do you believe me when I state that I did it while they were laying in the shade of those kind old trees along the creek? Only about half of them will let me mess with their feet without getting up and moving. But the ones that paid me no attention got a trim while they laid in the shade. The other half of the herd will have to wait until I get them in the chute for shots or something. The bull is senitive about his feet but I done him too. It is sometimes hard to get the foot they lay on. NOTE: I have learned that a cow will cover either one front foot or one back foot. So most of the time I only got 3 feet. I mainly trimmed the front of the toe where the excess growth is causing the toes to come together. I just take the tip off and round it out some. Looks good and I watched a couple get up and walk. Looks like an improvement.

Does anyone have any cautions on doing this from the perspective of dos and don'ts?

 

[KNERSIE]

If you have to trim about half your herd then you need to rethink your management practices. Still the best place to trim feet is just below the jaw.

 

[inyati13]

If you have to trim about half your herd then you need to rethink your management practices. Still the best place to trim feet is just below the jaw.

I am taking the preventive approach. None are limping, etc. My pasture has a lot of legumes (clovers). Does the high nitrogen and carbohydrates in legumes cause accelerated claw growth? My soils are not abrasive since they are clay with a mimimum of rock. I don't like to let those tips get out of control. Any further feedback? Thanks.

 

[3waycross]

If you have to trim about half your herd then you need to rethink your management practices. Still the best place to trim feet is just below the jaw.

I am taking the preventive approach. None are limping, etc. My pasture has a lot of legumes (clovers). Does the high nitrogen and carbohydrates in legumes cause accelerated claw growth? My soils are not abrasive since they are clay with a mimimum of rock. I don't like to let those tips get out of control. Any further feedback? Thanks.

yes i have a question. do those fat little pigs of yours lay on their back and put their feet in the air for you or do you have to kinda sit on them to trim their feet

 

[inyati13]

If you have to trim about half your herd then you need to rethink your management practices. Still the best place to trim feet is just below the jaw.

I am taking the preventive approach. None are limping, etc. My pasture has a lot of legumes (clovers). Does the high nitrogen and carbohydrates in legumes cause accelerated claw growth? My soils are not abrasive since they are clay with a mimimum of rock. I don't like to let those tips get out of control. Any further feedback? Thanks.

yes i have a question. do those fat little pigs of yours lay on their back and put their feet in the air for you or do you have to kinda sit on them to trim their feet

OK, you know the position a cow lays in. Their feet are extented outward. I kneel down on my knees. And go to work with the nippers. I usually have to position the foot so the handles are not against the ground. So the toe that is against the ground can be harder. It amazes me that my cows are so use to me that I can move their foot and flex their toes to the angle I need it to be so that the nippers get the correct bite. It would be great if I could coach them to roll on their back so I could get the foot that they keep under them. If one gets restless before I finish, a little clitorial stimulation goes a long way. :lol:

 

[dun]

If you have to trim about half your herd then you need to rethink your management practices. Still the best place to trim feet is just below the jaw.

Worth repeating!
Or the genetics of the cattle are weak in leg/foot.

 

[inyati13]

If you have to trim about half your herd then you need to rethink your management practices. Still the best place to trim feet is just below the jaw.

Worth repeating!
Or the genetics of the cattle are weak in leg/foot.

dun, I may be creating more concern than circumstances warrant. I became sensitized to feet problems primarily on the basis of all the cases of foot problems I hear about. The vet who visits my herd has not raised a concern based on his observations. This may be a case of it "not being broke but I am fixing it." If that is the case, could it be harmful to perform limited trimming of the claw tips. I may be misguided in my thinking it is normal practice to do hoof trimming as a matter of proper management.

 

[dun]

If you have to trim about half your herd then you need to rethink your management practices. Still the best place to trim feet is just below the jaw.

Worth repeating!
Or the genetics of the cattle are weak in leg/foot.

dun, I may be creating more concern than circumstances warrant. I became sensitized to feet problems primarily on the basis of all the cases of foot problems I hear about. The vet who visits my herd has not raised a concern based on his observations. This may be a case of it "not being broke but I am fixing it." If that is the case, could it be harmful to perform limited trimming of the claw tips. I may be misguided in my thinking it is normal practice to do hoof trimming as a matter of proper management.

Probably can't hurt, but if it's required there is something WRONG. We trimmed the feet on exactly one cow through the years. AT 5 she started showing screwclaw. Trimmed her feet and let her rest till the limp was gone then shipped her to the kill pen at the salebarn. Even Granny at 27 had never had anything done to her feet.
The managment part come in with the selection of animals with correct foot/leg structure!

 

[inyati13]

dun, what I am seeing is the claw tips beginning to touch in the front on a couple of cows. I probably are a little over reactive. Most of the cows have good feet. I have others that look to my non-trained eyes as potentially weak. I would like to have a reference on what good feet should look like.

 

[cow pollinater]

Maybe if you massage the vulva on the ones that don't hold still you'll be able to get them all. :D
That being said, I'm with Knersie.

 

[inyati13]

Here are some feet pics: I am nipping the sharp tips.

 

[regolith]

It can hurt if there is nothing wrong.
Preventative trimming usually applies only to the dairy situation, where cows are either housed on concrete or walking long distances every day. Also often on high energy/protein diets.
In those instances there pretty much *is* something wrong with a good proportion of the herd, and reshaping the feet can help prevent it progressing to lameness.

At least you don't appear tempted to take off excess amounts of horn.
The rear foot in the top photo looks good to me, others I can't say much about given the photo angles, they seem pretty average - not great, not bad enough to justify trimming. A good foot has a fairly steep angle (not starting to flatten out in front of the leg) and bears weight evenly.
My threshold for trimming a cow that isn't lame would be when one toe is extending at least an inch in front of the other, or starting to curl up and cross the other.

 

[TexasBred]

Inyati sometimes you give the impression of trying to improve on something that is already dam near perfect. Leave them alone. Those cattle you pictured do not have foot problems. Cattle have a way of walking and speading out the weight evenly on the foot. Nipping and such has the potential to change this and actually create a problem that didn't exist until you started interfering.

 

[inyati13]

Inyati sometimes you give the impression of trying to improve on something that is already dam near perfect. Leave them alone. Those cattle you pictured do not have foot problems. Cattle have a way of walking and speading out the weight evenly on the foot. Nipping and such has the potential to change this and actually create a problem that didn't exist until you started interfering.

I think you are right. I will leave them alone.