Cow Hoof Treamer

A common misconception is that hoof damage is caused by rough tracks and constant walking to and from the sheds. This is incorrect. Hoof damage starts from the inside out; not from the outside in. Nutrition is critical. If the cow is in optimal condition its hooves will be strong and healthy and able to resist normal wear and tear of every day milking. “Softer”, well maintained tracks and sheds helps but the main point is that proper nutrition is the key factor in preventing lameness. The best method of feeding is one that avoids rumen upset, so careful phasing of the herd between feed types is required..Hoof trimming has two major objectives, namely: to promote optimal conditions of hoof conformation and locomotion according to the conditions of the management system, and secondly to detect and treat hoof disorders before more serious problems develop and cause lameness. In contradiction a common “strategy” in many herds is to call for the hoof trimmer or veterinarian to treat cows when acute need of trimming is detected. Then many cows have already decreased their performance and suffered for no use. half of the cows in each herd were randomly selected to be trimmed an extra time, four months before the yearly scheduled trimming. When comparing hoof disorders at the spring trimming, the animals with one trimming had 67 % more lameness and 57 % more sole ulcers than those trimmed twice.