Anybody have experience with trimming hooves on dairy cows?

Question

My neighbor and I were talking, and his brother used to trim his cows. He is too busy anymore and a few of them need some attention. Neighbor has the chute to lay them down and a nice setup. He is too cheap to hire a professional.

I have done my own horses, and have the tools, but I hire a farrier now because they do a better job and less stress on my back!

I know he won't hire anyone, and I told him I would help if he needed me.

Could someone give me some pointers? Or should we just leave the shovelfoots alone?

Thanks!

Answer 1

At least he has the clam shell set up to lay the cows down.  These cows need to have their hooves trimmed.  It is causing them unfair pain on the joints and tendons to have their feet out of whack.

I raise meat goats, and do a lot of hoof trimming.  Some of my bucks are 300 pounds, and have suprisingly large and sturdy hooves.  I also live in the desert, and their hooves are HARD.

Look at a calfs hoof.  That is the shape an adult cows hoof should be.  Kinda strait up and down, if you know what I mean.  Not spayed out, nor curling up like an elfs shoe.

It would be a LOT easier to trim the hooves of the cows if they can spend a few hours softening them up by standing about in some mud.  You can always hose the hooves clean before you start.

Hoof trimming time is a great time to give tetanus shots if the cows are not current (especially if you quick a cow).

Since you have horses, you pobably already know, but quicking means cutting down too far, until the hoof bleeds.

Have a spray bottle of Vet strength idodine (7%) on hand.  The feed stores hide the Vet strength idodine in locked cabinets now, since it is used to make meth.  Feed stores are broken into all the time, and the iodine is stollen...you may have to badger someone to go into the back and get it for you.

I spray the bottom of hooves with the iodine every time I trim, no matter what.

Don't panic if you hit blood.  Sometimes it's just a bruise.  Sometimes you need to hold some pressure to get it to stop.  This usually only happens to me, when a goat jerks and stuggles when I'm trimming.  I do not have a clam shell to hold them....it's a wrestling job on my farm.

I will warn you however...you may not be able to trim the hooves of the cows.  You might not be strong enough.  When the hired guys come in to trim the hooves, they use electric tools and grinders.

If you do this job for him, he owes you BIG!  

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 2

Hey Ayla,  Truthfully, I have no experience with trimming a cow's hooves.  I trimmed and shod plenty of horses.  I know that if you don't know what you are doing you can do a lot more damage than good.  If he won't hire anyone, at least to do a few, I would find someone that I could at least watch a few times before I tried it.  I've read a good bit about trimming cow's hooves and it looks pretty tricky.  Best of luck.

Answer 3

I have trimmed them before, similar to what is done for horses.  Just be aware that cows typically kick to the side with their back feet, rather than to the back.

Answer 4

you should start by trimming off anything that looks like it doesn't  belong there and then use a knife to smooth them out but make sure they don't kick you It hurts like crazy!