New cow, should I shed her?

[francismilker]

I traded for a hostein two year old hiefer yesterday. Here's her situation:
She is two and has been bulling for some time now. I done some trading for her and have next to nothing in her at this point. She came from a hispanic dairy worker that trades out some of his labor for some stock and didn't have any use for a heifer. He's had her since she was one week old. She is a big framed cow but has hoof problems. I mean, serious hoof problems. All four hooves are grown out at least two inches beyond normal. I bought her with the intentions of just running her through the local sale and getting slaughter prices for a lot of weight. Once I get to looking at her, she may be worth salvaging out as a nurse cow if I can get her hoof problem corrected. Do you guys think it is possible to get this done? Or, could this be a chronic problem that keeps coming back once I get it corrected?

[Hammer4]

I would guess the cow has been penned up on soft ground where her hooves couldn't self trim as she walked around...it might be worth having her trimmed once, then turn her out on pasture to see if they will stay a good length from then on.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by Hammer4

I would guess the cow has been penned up on soft ground where her hooves couldn't self trim as she walked around...it might be worth having her trimmed once, then turn her out on pasture to see if they will stay a good length from then on.

Could be worth trying. Also some cows on a lot and TMR as their total diet have very fast growing hooves that need trimmed at least once a year. Trimming her up, changing her situation and giving her a more natural diet, may be just what she needs. That is assuming she didn't already have these advantages. Do you know how she was kept?

[francismilker]

From what I could see, she was dry-lotted without any grazing on about a half acre muddy lot. Her only intake was old hay and grain. I think getting her on good green pasture, worming her, and trimming the hooves will be a good start.

[JeffNY]

Francismilker,



You can fix that animal up, bring her into herself and not remember what she looked like. All she needs is a dry area, and hay (lower protein). Give her approx 2 months, and she will look different, act different etc.


The best example of care, and the difference of farms is the red holstein 3yr old we have. She came, looked ragged. My mother said "you paid too much", because she really didn't look the 2k paid for her. Well later that year she went to a couple shows, and at one the judge commented on her. Said "I would place the red heifer in 5th, 1st if she was taller, she has the best dairy charcter out of all of these heifers today" (in that class of 16, at a very competative fair). Then the following spring calved, was classified last october went GP84, with this past spring being raised some in her rump/feet and legs. So the point? With good care, you can bring them around.



Jeff

[Rockin'B]

It's worth giving it a try. You don't have much into her cost wise so you don't really have much to lose. You may just end up with a pretty valuable cow!

Good luck and let us know how it works. I love a success story!

[jerzeygurl]

i would give her a trim then turn her out on the rockiest pasture you have...

we are so lucky we have so many rocks on our place all hoofs wear naturally