Small-ScaleDairy Farming Manual |
Volume 5 |
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Why is hoof care important? (1-11)
1 Overgrown or damaged hooves:
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How can you care for hooves? (12-20)
2 By using a skilled hoof trimmer with the right tools. |
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What diseases come from poor hoof care? (23-43)
3 Ulcers and bacteria can cause fever and even death. |
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How can you prevent hoof problems?(44-54)
4 By choosing a cow with good hooves and
looking after her well.
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5 Because it affects milk
production and the health of your cow.
You cut the nails on your hands and feet regularly. |
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6 If your nails are too long, you feel uncomfortable and cannot work properly. |
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7 Without care, the hooves of your cow become too big. They are painful when the cow is standing or walking. This reduces milk yield. |
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8 If you do not care for overgrown
hooves, your cow may get serious diseases in hooves and legs.
She can become very sick and even die.
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An overgrown hoof
10 If your cow usually walks on soft ground or you tie up your cow in the barn, the horn layer becomes too thick. Note the angle of the leg. |
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Normal leg position
11 This cow has normal hooves and legs. Note the position of the hindlegs when the cow is standing relaxed. |
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Abnormal leg position
12 This cow has abnormal hooves (or legs). Note the position of the hindlegs when the cow is standing relaxed. Compare the positions of the hindlegs in illustrations 11 and 12.
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13 If you walk on your heels,
you do not feel comfortable.
This is also true for a cow with overgrown hooves. Overgrown hooves are painful when the cow stands or walks. |
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14 To avoid pain the cow lies down more than
usual.
So she easily gets wounds specially on the hock and knee. |
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15 The cow easily stumbles and
falls.
She often damages her hooves and legs. |
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16 By asking a skilled hoof trimmer to examine and trim the hooves of your cows at least twice a year. |
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17 Trim hooves in a special
box.
Then the skilled hoof trimmer can work quickly so your cow does not become nervous and hurt herself or the hoof trimmer. |
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18 If you do not have hoof trimming box, fix the leg carefully. |
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19 Do not use this device.
It can make your cow lame.
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20 Not everyone can trim hooves.
Use a person who is experienced
in hoof
trimming!
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21 An experienced hoof trimmer examines the hoof
carefully for pain and disease.
He uses various instruments. |
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Tongs
22 He cuts the edge of the hoof with tongs. |
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Knife
23 He cleans and trims the sole of the hoof with a knife.
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Hammer and chisel
24 He cuts the horn with a hammer and chisel. |
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25 He advises you to call the vet if necessary. |
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Remember
26 Well trimmed hooves improve the health of your cows and healthy cows have a better milk yield. |
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27 Ulcers on the sole.An ulcer is a hole in the horn of the sole. You can see the soft tissue under the horn. |
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28 The hoof easily becomes infected and your cow becomes sick. |
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29 A cow with untrimmed hooves will often get an ulcer on the sole of the outer claw of the hind leg. |
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30 The causes of sole ulcers are:
- overgrown hooves - poor hoof trimming - poor feeding (lack of calcium and phosphorus in the food). |
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31 If the ulcer is not too deep, the hoof trimmer can clean and trim the hoof. |
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32 If the ulcer is deep and you can see the soft tissue, call the vet and let him treat the wound with antibiotics. |
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33 Nails or sharp stones from roads can easily go through the sole. |
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34 If the hole is deep, it reaches the soft tissue. |
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35 An abscess (pus) may form inside the hoof |
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36 and if you do not treat your cow, abscesses
may form in the rest of the body.She gets
fever, stops eating
and may die.
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37 A trained hoof trimmer can open the sole horn and let the pus out. |
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38 The vet can treat your cow with antibiotic injections. |
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39 Protect the wound by
dressing.
Remove the dressing when the wound heals. |
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40 To prevent disease, do not
let your
cows walk on roads with sharp stones, nails, and other things that may
go through the hoof sole.
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41 One type of bacteria can infect the soft tissue between the claws and an abscess develop. This is called Cattle Foot Rot. |
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42 This bacteria likes wet surroundings. So you often find the disease in the wet season. |
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43 However, you may find the disease all through the year, especially when your cows walk around in mud and wet manure. |
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44 If your cow has a small hole
in the
skin the bacteria can enter and an abscess form.
It
hurts
her when she walks.
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45 The disease may spread
to the
hoof joint.
The joint swells. Your cow may get a severe fever and stop eating. |
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46 Call the vet as soon as you see signs
of foot rot.
He removes dead tissue and treats the animal with antibiotic injection. |
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47 If you see signs of foot rot:
- make a foot bath with 3% formalin or 5% copper sulphate - walk your cows daily through the foot bath. This prevents the disease. |
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48 You can prevent hoof problems
by paying attention to the following:
Inheritance Some cows are born with better hooves than others. Narrow hooves resist injuries better than low, flat hooves |
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49 and dark horn is stronger than fair horn. |
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50 Choose your cattle carefully when buying or selecting them for breeding. |
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Feeding
51 Poor feeding may lead to bone diseases, which means problems with legs and hooves.The right amounts of the minerals Calcium and Phosphorus, and Vitamin D, are important for bones.
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Housing
53 Most housing systems can cause problems for your cows: - in barns with grates, slotted floors or concrete floors, choose designs which do not damage hooves and legs. |
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54 Always keep your barn clean!
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56 This means that the cow easily injures hooves, legs and the teats of the udder. |
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Hoof trimming
57 Trim overgrown hooves! |
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58 Call the hoof trimmer to examine an treat
your cow at least twice a year!
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