How to treat cows' hooves. About trimming cows' hooves

Trimming goats' hooves is an important procedure that must be carried out regardless of the breed and age of the animal. Trimming is carried out in order to cut off the processes of the hoof tissue, to prevent harm to the health of the animals. With the correct technique, this procedure is quick and painless.

Why is hoof trimming necessary?

The hoof is a hard horny formation. If we compare the anatomical structure, the hoof is similar to human nails. It is a so-called modified skin, where the lower layer of the epidermis is a callus. Goats' hooves grow throughout their lives. Therefore, cutting off excess growths is extremely necessary. Wild animals in natural conditions can independently grind off excess tissue, as they move on hard surfaces, which allows the hoof formation to grind down. Excess growths on the hooves create uncomfortable conditions for goats.

Failure to carry out this procedure in a timely manner can lead to incorrect positioning of the legs, as well as problems with joints, pain, and the animals will have difficulty moving. During the winter period, the hoof layer grows, as animals move less and are mostly indoors on bedding. Therefore, goat hoof trimming is carried out in spring and autumn. In the summer, animals move a lot on pastures, thereby naturally grinding off excess formation. For any animal, this procedure is stressful, so preparing the animal is an important undertaking.

How to properly trim goats' hooves

A farmer who raises and breeds goats in any quantity must have special tools that allow them to carry out hoof care procedures. It is necessary to organize a special place where the animals will be calm, which will allow this procedure to be carried out competently and quickly.

Goat Hoof Trimming Tools

The following tools may be needed for this procedure:

• A tool that allows you to clean the test surface from dirt;
• Hoof trimming scissors. They should be of medium length, since scissors that are too small require a lot of effort, and scissors that are too long can interfere with the procedure without injuring the animal;
• If the hoof is crooked, a special hoof knife can be used. But its use also requires greater vigilance, since the tool is dangerous not only for the animal, but also for humans;
• You can use a sharp regular knife with a thin blade and a handle that is comfortable for your hand;
• Goat hoof trimming pruners can also be used to cut off external growths, but are not suitable for internal cleaning;
• Garden shears can also be used, but they will not allow you to form an anatomically shaped hoof;
• Using metal scissors is also acceptable.

Before the procedure, goats' hooves are soaked in a solution of copper sulfate prepared in advance.

How to prepare your animal for hoof trimming

Since the procedure is stressful, especially for animals undergoing this procedure for the first time, goats must be prepared. Hoof trimming is not required for pregnant animals. If the animal is aggressive, then sedatives can be used. The animal is tied in the place where this procedure will take place. To treat the front hooves, the legs are bent so that the hoof is at chest level. The back of the hooves are processed by fixing the goat's body with the legs, and the hind limbs of the animal are pulled back. You can use special machines where animals are restrained. In this position, trimming the hooves can become difficult, so they use the additional help of another person who can hold the animal lying on its side or on its back and trim the hooves in this position.

Proper hoof trimming for goats

This procedure includes the following steps:

• Cleaning the hoof from dirt, pieces of earth, bedding, and so on. They begin to cut off the hoof horn from the nose of the hoof;
• After which, trimming of the so-called heel begins at the same level as trimming the toes;
• After this, the hoof is leveled. This happens by cutting off the soft tissue in the area of ​​the heels and toes. Cutting continues until the sole becomes flat and level. The two fingers should be equally straight;
• After hoof trimming is completed, the animal’s limbs are soaked in copper sulfate, which will prevent infection from entering the hoof horn;
• If blood vessels are affected and damage occurs, they are treated with hydrogen peroxide using iodine. Until the wound heals, the animal is kept separately from the rest, on a clean surface with fresh bedding;
• If hoof rot is detected during hoof trimming, then all tools are disinfected, and the animal itself is placed in a separate place with clean bedding and good feeding.

An important part of cow care is hoof trimming, which includes trimming overgrown hoof horns. The health of the animal depends on the regularity and correctness of trimming - an overgrown horn can cause serious inflammation in the joints, injuries, and problems while walking.

There are several reasons why you need to do regular hoof trimming and trimming:

• Improving the condition and health of the animal,
• Increased milk yield,
• Reduced risk of lameness,
• Reducing the risk of other musculoskeletal diseases.

On average, the hoof horn grows by six to eight millimeters per month. During the summer months on pasture it wears off quite quickly so the shape of the hoof is not distorted. But in stable conditions, the regrown horn can greatly change the condition of the sole of the hoof. The regrown part may crack, which leads to damage to soft tissues. The danger of such damage is purulent inflammation. Another consequence of irregular trimming is sprain of the ligamentous apparatus, which is practically untreatable in cows.

If animals are kept in tethers, cleaning must be carried out at least once every three months.

If cattle are kept in pens or on pasture, clearing can be done every four months. Unscheduled trimming is carried out in case of a broken hoof horn, cracks or injuries.

Clearing process

Before starting work, the animal must be restrained. To do this, use a machine or stall. After this, the farrier assesses the condition of the cow’s legs. Particular attention is paid to the positioning of the limbs and the placement of the fingers to determine the presence of problems and patterns of deformation of the hoof horn. Trimming cows' hooves begins with cleaning the soles of dirt. Then the coarsened part of the horn is cut off from the clean sole using a special hoof knife. After this, the overgrown hoof walls are cut off with forceps. The regrown horn is usually more brittle and gray in color; when cut, it crumbles. Two people are required to handle cattle. One holds the leg, the second carries out trimming and processing of the hoof.

If during work a damaged area is discovered, or the pruning has led to a crack, it is immediately treated with iodine.

After the clearing is completed, you need to make sure that the work was done correctly. To do this, the leg is released, allowing the cow to rest on the trimmed hoof. With proper trimming, a conditionally drawn line along the axis of the finger bone will be straight. You can also use a special corner that will show how much of the regrown edge needs to be cut off. If everything is done correctly, all that remains is to level the sole and edges of the hoof horn using a rasp. It is necessary to file the hoof. This prevents the appearance and development of cracks and chips.

After trimming, the length of the front hoof wall should be from five to seven centimeters, and the back - no more than three. The hoof wall should be level and the hoof crevice should be clean and well defined.

A hoof with a curved horn and deformed with the help of pincers and a knife is first leveled along the convex part, which bends onto the sole. Next, the overgrown part of the sole and the opposite wall are cut off. It is impossible to straighten a deformed hoof in one trimming. Regular monthly cleaning will be required.

Cow legs tangled

In order to process the front legs, the head of the cow must be fixed. Usually it is tied with a halter or by the horns to a feeder. If trimming is being carried out for the first time, or the cow has a restless character, it must be laid on hay to treat its hind legs. To do this, the front and rear legs are tangled on one side. First the front rope is pulled, then the back rope. The tension should be strong, but not sharp, so that the cow lies down on her own. If the cow tolerates trimming well, it is enough for her to tangle her front legs.

When tangled, it is important to prevent the formation of abrasions and squeezing of the tendons.

Clearing machines

For greater safety of the animal and the farrier, the processing of cattle hooves is carried out in special machines. The hoof trimming machine is designed taking into account the anatomical features of the cow. The animal is fixed in it, but does not feel in a confined space. Very often, the machine for processing cattle hooves is equipped with electric drives and special lifting devices. Their task is to lift and fix the cow’s leg at the required height. This makes the farrier's job easier. On some models, the front legs can be secured using a rope and clamp. Other models provide mechanical fixation of all four limbs.

Pens for cattle can be stationary or mobile. The mobile is lighter and has removable wheels. It has a backlight and a built-in split. The frame is made of lightweight but durable profile pipes, and the floor is made of corrugated metal sheet. A stationary machine is most often made of pipes or metal profiles; stainless steel is also used. The floor may be concrete.

Clearing the stall

Trimming animals in stalls is more common on private farms. For work, the animal is fixed in the stall with an additional longitudinal crossbar. Using a halter, the animal is tied next to the feeder, limiting head movements. To secure the legs, ropes are used, which can be tied to the support posts of the stall, or fastened together. Working in the stall is impossible without an assistant who will hold the animal’s legs during processing.

An added benefit of a trimming stall is that it has a door at the front. This makes it easier to remove the cow after hoof treatment, since not all animals move backward well. Some farmers equip their stalls with a mechanical apparatus, such as is used in pens, to lift and secure the animal's legs. As well as additional lighting and electrical outlets, where, if necessary, the farrier can connect an electric rasp or any other tool.

A goat, like other hoofed animals such as horses, needs regular hoof trimming.

Rodents grow teeth throughout their lives. And a goat grows horns and hooves all its life. We won't touch the horns for now. There will be a separate conversation about them.

In the wild, goats—mountain animals—ground their hooves on rocks. There are no rocks in my stable. I plan to give the goats an exclusive walking area, with a concrete slide and a swing, but until then the hooves will have to be trimmed, let me remind you that they grow constantly and do not wait until you have time to trim them.

Frequency of procedure: I trim goats' hooves about once every two months.

Today's patient: Pear. I deliberately did not clean her hooves on time, for clarity.

It can be seen that the hoof horn has grown and began to bend. If it is not removed, it will grow into a long “ski”, the goat’s legs will be disturbed and the joints will ache.

I tried many tools - two pruners, two metal scissors, regular scissors, several types of knives, and finally settled on a short, sharp kitchen knife. I don’t buy a special knife for trimming hooves, because I’ve used one before on horses and cows, and I didn’t like it.

First, we clean the dirt and manure from the hoof, then we begin to carefully cut off the hoof horn. I hold the hoof in such a way that it is convenient for the second hand with a knife to trim the hoof horn, like when peeling potatoes.

I carefully cut off the heel, and then the side edge

I cut it again. The hoof is dry and cuts poorly. I usually clean my hooves after walking on wet grass or snow, then the horn softens.

I carefully trim off the excess from the sock.

One finger ready

I'm moving on to the second one. After trimming the horn, I cut off a little of the top layer of crumb.

Pear has a very thin crumb, and with each trimming I cut one or both of her toes until they bleed.

I always keep hydrogen peroxide in my pocket for such cases. I keep meaning to buy a spray, for example, Kubatol, but I forget.

The leg is more or less in order. I would like to cut off the toes further, but this goat’s toes cannot be cut, it will bleed.

In bulls and cows, the hooves (horny wall) become thicker with each new month and lengthen by about 8 millimeters. If the animal spends almost all of its time on pasture, the tissue begins to wear off, and this does not result in any deformation of the hooves.

In winter, during a period of low mobility, an unworn cornea can cause hoof deformation. This effect is very difficult to correct. Over time, if no measures are taken, the hoof will crack and bend. This may cause damage to your feet. In some cases, processes of suppuration and inflammation are possible.

In order not to experience pain, the cow will move incorrectly, which leads to improper distribution of the cow's body weight on the joints. The cow's general health and condition worsens, she begins to eat poorly and tries to lie down as much as possible. As a result, the amount of milk decreases by about 1/4, but sometimes the milk disappears altogether. Therefore, it is worth cleaning and trimming hooves at least 2 times a year.

Hoof trimming rules

Two to three people will be required for pruning. The animal must be tied to the feeder with a shortened rope. Someone must hold the cow's leg at the socket while another person trims and cleans the hooves. If during this procedure a person discovers damage to the skin or tissue, then it is necessary to treat them with iodine.

Things are much worse with the cow's hind legs. To trim, the cow must be knocked down, which requires three people. This should be done with caution as it is difficult to knock a cow down and can sometimes injure her.

Tools and processing

The main tools are a hoof knife, a sharp knife and scissors. If hoof trimming is not going to happen for the first time, you can use a cutter. The first thing to do is compare the size of the hooves on the paws. It's simple - just measure the distance from the toe to the rims.

Trimming should begin with the highest hoof. First, you should create a plane on this hoof (a cutter is used), and the plane should go perpendicular to the axis. Correctly performed actions will be confirmed by a white line on the hoof. Also in the process you can get rid of all the flaws in the sole. As a result, the thickness of the sole will be 3-5 millimeters. Next you need to move to the second, third and fourth hoofs and trim them using the same algorithms.

In order to get rid of unnecessary cornea, it is enough to use a hoof knife. During this process, it is necessary to form a hole (that is, a slope between the hooves). You can check your work using a special form.

Often, cattle owners do not pay due attention to the hoof trimming procedure. If this is not done on time, the animal may be seriously damaged. In winter, cows often develop limb diseases due to the fact that the hooves were not trimmed and the overgrown hoof horn was trimmed untimely.

In cows and bulls, within a month, the horny wall grows by an average of 7 mm. During walking, it wears off and the shape of the hoof does not change. During winter, when the mobility of livestock is limited, the horn grows in excess and the hoof changes pathologically, taking on a disfigured shape. After which, the horn splits and the soft tissues of the hoof itself are injured. The animal gets sick, milk yield decreases significantly. Therefore, it is necessary to trim the hooves at least 2 times a year and trim off overgrown hoof horns.

How to properly trim hooves?

Trim one by one, first the front hooves, then the hind hooves.

The process of removing excess horn from the front hooves requires two people. The cow should be secured with a short rope to the place of the feeder, one holds the bent leg, and the second, after carrying out hygienic procedures, cleans the hoof and trims the overgrown horn. If damage to the animal’s skin is detected, they are treated with iodine.

It is safer to treat the hooves of the hind limbs on an animal that is securely fixed in a prone position.

Farms have special machines where cows are securely fixed in a motionless state, and they can carry out this procedure without fear.

Hoof trimming on specially designed machines is not always suitable for personal use, due to the high cost of purchasing such equipment.

The cow must be handled calmly and kindly during hoof handling and trimming.

Using a special knife designed for this purpose, a cutter or a milling cutter, a cut is carefully made from the sole and crumb of the old hoof horn of cows. It is distinguished by its gray color, brittleness and fragility. The new horn is light and elastic. Cut until a white line appears.

The cutter for processing cow hooves has a typical hole for attaching to an electric grinder. The cutter can be used to process the end side; the angle of action of the knife in this case is aimed at reducing stress for the cattle.

If you plan to cut by hand, then it is better not to “finish” a little than to touch the “living” hoof horn. Timely hoof trimming , will protect the health and life of cattle.