The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: crobertson on March 24, 2019, 08:16:39 pm
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We only have a small bunch of 12 ewes (none in lamb due to work commitments) but I was wondering for advice regarding hooves and trimming.
They last had a tidy up trim around 18 months ago and were checked last spring once they'd lambed and all were fine.
I know the best advice is to not trim unless absolutely necessary and we've haven't had one case on lameness in 18 months. However, we gathered the girls up today for their Heptavac and thought to check their hooves, the majority were overgrown, starting to curl under and a couple of broken and misshapen hooves. I have given all that needed it a trim to tidy up but no think this goes against leaving them until necessary as none of them were lame at all ???
On a separate issue over half now have slight shelly hoof and think this may be mineral related (they graze a neighbours 10 acres over winter)? They haven't had this issue previously but last winter they had crystalyx blocks for the entire time due to being in lamb and this year just a salt block. Other than that they seem fine.
Any advice appreciated :)
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Advice is don't trim unless lame, and then generally it is diagnostic
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Relax , if you have had no lameness then consider your self very lucky , trimming or not is up to you :thumbsup:you can buy a feet and fertility bucket that is high in zinc to help hooves
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My vet reckons that sheep feet do not grow evenly and there are times of the year when they fold over. This will wear away further down the line. It is hard to sit on your hands when the feet are looking awful but I did last year and they came right. I only trimmed one ewe and that was because one of her hind feet really looked windswept, to the point of starting to look deformed.