Hoof trimming

[hollydzie]

I am wondering if any one trims their own cows hooves, if so what type of nipper do you use. Can you train a cow to have their hooves trimmed like you can a horse. Thanks for any info.
Holly

[kozzy]

You're not the only one with this problem. My girl gets some pretty long toenails, especially on her hind hooves. Barely a rock on the property and the soft ground along with what seems like a genetic propensity toward long hooves seems to be the problem.

I haven't yet found the answer to your question either. The ranchers around here all look at me like I am nuts when I ask. The only suggestion I EVER got was to hook her to the back of the truck and run her up and down the road once in a while...yea, right. The local farriers both passed.

There are some youtube videos on hoof trimming dairy stock--but they really don't fit. They're more about hoof abscesses from walking around in slop all day. Pretty vile and unpleasant to watch also as they handle the cows like...factory dairies handle cows.

The good news is that, although long, they seem to have reached a stopping point. She doesn't seem to be in any distress or danger of splitting and the very ends seem to be self-breaking once they reach a certain point. I have some large nippers to do a tip trim if it comes to that but it'd be a pretty bad scene without a squeeze chute.

So, if anyone has a good answer, I'd be open to hear it also.

[kansasdexters]

Here is a link to Hoof Trimmers Association, Inc. in the USA: www.hooftrimmers.org/

They maintain a list of qualified hoof trimmers for cattle in the United States:

netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=HTA&WebCode=IndSearch


Since Highland cattle frequently need hoof trimming, their Northwest association also has a list of hoof trimmers:

Montana:
1. Ron Kummerfeldt, 406-726-3337
Ron covers western MT, northern ID, and eastern WA

Oregon:
1. Travis Bartelds, 503-949-4106. Travis has a tilt chute, customized to handle large horns
2. John Esplin, 503-368-5020
3. Chris Perkins, 503-392-4663. Covers the Tillamook area only
4. Walter Schwarz, 541-942-4390

Washington:
1. George Bates, 360-829-2252
2. Ken Haarsma, 509-837-5455
3. Nathan Hoffman, 360-266-0559. Nathan works in SE WA, mainly south of Yelm
4. Mike Nichols, 360-638-1477. Mike works in the Puget Sound, Kitsap, and Olympic Peninsula areas
5. Toby Richner, 360-510-7671. Toby works in Whatcom county only
6. Skagit Hooftrimming: Four trimmers (Peter Stephens, his two sons Peter Jr. and Gates, and Vince Miller) can be contacted at Bovi-Motion, 425-821-7309. Or, you can contact them separately at:
Peter Stephens Sr., 360-757-2504 (Western WA)
Peter Stephens Jr., 360-708-6308 (Western WA)
Gates Stephens, 425-821-7309 (Western WA)


I'd suggest contacting some of these guys to get a reference for someone in your area.


Patti

[hollydzie]

Patti, I wonder if they would have a clue as to some one in FL. I am not having good luck finding anyone.

[kansasdexters]

Holly,

Try contacting North Florida Holsteins: www.northfloridaholsteins.com/staff.html

They have a milking herd of 10,000 cattle and I'll bet they do their fair share of hoof trimming or have a team of hoof trimmers that come in on a routine basis to do it.


Patti

[hollydzie]

Thanks Patti, that is a good place to start.

Holly

[midhilldexters]

Kozzy, long back toes are easy to nip off. Get yourself a good pair of long handled nippers. When your cows are laying and chewing their cud, walk amongst them and work on what you can see. Start slowly, let them get used to it, just nip off small pieces until you and they are used to it. Doesn't matter if it takes a few times to accomplish. This is the way I do back toes if needed, I also have very wet soft ground. Much is genetic though. Good luck.

Carol K

[carragheendexters]

What you can try if your cow is quiet enough is tie her on a concrete pad, or set up some sort of race on the concrete to restrain her in, and get your self a piece of rubber matting, a hammer and a chisel. Place the rubber matting under her hoof on the concrete and then working from the outside of the toe in hammer away using the chisel to cut through the hoof. Even if you only get some cut away or a cut in her hoof, walking around will usually help break it away.

Be aware though that in dry weather their hooves are so hard, as hard as the steel in the hammer and chisel. The chisel may break. It is best if you are going to try and trim feet yourself to wait for a wet spell, when their hooves have been in water and mud for some days before giving it a go.

For shows we trim our hooves, and use a horse rasp. I always put a wooden handle on it and wear thick leather gloves, to keep hands away from the rasp and to try and protect my hands from the inevitable grating that they end up getting. Rasps grate away human flesh like cheese through a  grater. It hurts!!!!!

I also put the cow in a crush or a race, but don't use the head bail, she has better balance that way. I just use a halter and tie her head with a  bit of slack.I use a nice soft leg rope, to hook it around the fetlock and over the top of the crush, and then doubled again around the top of the leg and over the top of the crush. Have someone (a husband is good here LOL) hold this rope so that it can quickly be released if needed. Don't tie it, you can not get it undone quickly enough if the cow were to go down. This gives the cow plenty of support for balancing on 3 legs and keeps her leg still.

For the back legs I put the rope around the fetlock and also around the top of the leg just below the stifle. Always stand to the side in case they kick backwards(the only way the leg can go when restrained this way.)

I have never been game enough to use an angle grinder, even though it would be quicker than the rasp I am sure I would lose my hands with it.

We have even done mature bulls this way, they actually seem to be more agreeable than the cows. The cows sometimes throw a bit of a tanty because they can't get their own way.

Trimming hooves should always be a two person job, for safety reasons. No matter how quiet a cow is, things can go wrong and cow and humans can get hurt.

[dexterfarm]

I do some of my animals some of the time. Not all of them need it some may need it once in their life. Even the worst ones I have are good for about 2 years.
I use ones like this link
the fronts are easy. tie their head up high and short. I get a low seat chunk of fire wood/cement block. I sit right under their front leg bend it up and rest their knee on my leg. The wife cuts while I hold.
The rears not so easy. I use my milking stanchion that has a head gate on it I made. On the back I have a large metal pipe that is permanently fastened on top of the 4*4s. I take a rope and tie it low on the leg with a knot that will not pull down. Loop it up over the pipe and then back down and around the leg knee high then back up over the pipe. my wife pulls on the rope and I pull back on the part of the rope that is tied to the leg. they will kick and kick hard. I hold the rope above the leg to control the kicking. They will stop kicking after a while. Just make sure you stand back far enough in case they kick. because they will kick a few times.

[ian]

Hi All

I use a angle grinder with a course wood disk. You have to restrain the animal in the crush/shute and tie the leg.

you will also need to tie or hold the tail out of the way to ensure it does not get caught in the grinder.

[carragheendexters]

Ian, I have never had the courage to use the angle grinder. I already lose enough skin with hoof rasp, can you imagine what I'd be like with an angle grinder LOL. I wish I was game enough, it would certainly speed up the job.