[BJ]

DH has read that dairy cattle frequently need their hooves trimmed and there are individuals who have special equipment to perform this task. We have one cow who twice a year needs one front hoof trimmed. Rather than use the expensive method used by the vet, which involves sedating...we would like to find someone whose business it is to trim cows feet. They usually have a special chute and table they use for the job that is supposed to be less stressful on the animal.

We asked our farrier....not something he will attempt!

Do you know anyone who works or travels between the Sedalia to Kansas City, MO area? :help:

 

[Ronney]

BJ, I trim my own cows hooves - those that need it. I have had the vet do it if he happens to be here on another matter and I would have a blue fit if he sedated a cow just to trim it's hooves.

I put the cow in the race (which is what I think you call a chute), use a soft vet rope to pull her leg back and tie it firmly to the side of the race (which is made of boards.) I then use a pair of hoof trimmers to pare the hoof back to it's correct length and will often use a hoof knife to neaten it up. And that's it, let her go. Unless the hoof is trimmed too far back, there is no pain in trimming hooves. The cow gets upset because she's being handled in a way that doesn't normally happen in her day and is not particularly comfortable. I once owned a cow that would let me trim her hooves while she was sitting down chewing her cud. When she's had enough she'd pull her leg away and I would leave the rest for another day.

Of the 9 cows and one bull that I have, there are only two that I trim and in both cases it is their back feet and they only need doing once a year. Can you post a photo of the front foot? While cows do get overgrown front feet, it is more usual for it to be the back feet.

Dairy cows across the board should not need their feet trimmed at all and if they do there is either a genetic problem or a management problem.

Cheers,
Ronnie

 

[DaleK]

I do my own too. I'm not sure that getting a trimmer would end up being much cheaper than a vet for just one cow. Most of the trimmers here end up grossing about $120/hr. I don't think anybody's going to bring their equipment out for one cow for anything less than a couple of hours worth of charges.

 

[Ken Scharabok]

I have one cow with an 'elf's foot' rear right. It hinders her walking through high grass as it catches. When worked in spring I do the lift (as above) in the chute and use a tree limb pruner to clip off as much of the excess growth as I can.

First time though I took her into the vet. They have a squeeze chute with a rotating table. Made hoof easy to get to. Didn't cost all that much, but still the effort of loading and hauling.

Cow hoof trimming is mostly done in confinement dairies. I understand they use a portable squeeze chute which rotates (like my vet has). Then use a 4" palm grinder with a special wheel on it. From what I have read a professional cow hoof trimmer can gross over $100K a year.

 

[de Molay]

I put them in the squeeze and use the long handled pruner that my wife bought for making willow furniture it surpasses all the commercial cattle devices i have ever seen.