The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: OhLaLa on April 14, 2011, 11:30:30 am
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Ok, will try and keep this succinct and not ramble:
I bought this ewe in Jan, she has now lambed so am able to check her feet properly as was not poss when she was carrying. I did it yesterday and one rear foot looks as if the outer black 'horn' has grown underneath the foot and has become the sole of her foot (it seems attached). Now, the thing is, it is totally stuck to her foot - it's almost as if the horn has come away from the foot and this is how it is regrowing (if that makes any sense). The front of the foot is short (so could have broken off). Her other feet were a bit long and turning under, and have been done ok by me.
Apart from the shortness of toe it looks ok when she is standing on it.
Conclusions please.
(she isn't limping, and I've purple sprayed her feet).
:sheep:
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Yes, it happens to some of ours occasionally. You have to cut into the sole - going slowly obviously as you don't know where the sensitive bit is, until you remove the grown-over bottom and get back to a flat sole and a side hoof. I usually do it in stages rather than try to get it back to normal all in one go.
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Yeah this happens to one of my ryelands but she never has any issues with it so at trimming time I just slowly cut it back until I think it resembles the other hooves. It seems to be more apparent in lambs having there first trim but is ok after the first trim
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I think it also maybe happens more in sheep which are on grass all the time without any stones or concrete to wear down the soles of their feet. We always mean to build our sheep a climbing rock but so far we haven't got round to it ::)