Author Topic: Cracking and splitting hooves (Read 16132 times)

moprabbit · « **on:** November 17, 2011, 09:04:45 pm »

I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how to cure and prevent my ewes hooves cracking and splitting? I trimmed them about a week ago and found a couple of my 4 ewes had very poor hooves - some had quite a gap between the hoof wall and the sole of the hoof and some of the hoof wall was splitting away. Any ideas please? Thank you

ellisr · « **Reply #1 on:** November 17, 2011, 09:52:55 pm »

You can get a tubby that helps but be ready for cutting hooves like concrete next year

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #2 on:** November 17, 2011, 10:28:28 pm »

They may be wanting minerals and trace elements; zinc is essential for good hooves, I think.

The tubby bucket would no doubt have the mins in, or you could give them a drench.

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** November 18, 2011, 05:01:25 pm »

It sounds like "Shelly hoof" what you tare describing, I find a few of mine have that uevery so often, but theoy are usually not lame because of it. It's not known what e xactly causes it, but it is almost certainly a deficiency of some sort nor other. Seaweed granules are said to help, and when I feda my ewes in the winter they do get a sprinkling of it in their feed. However feeding too much oef it can actually lead to really halrd hooves too, so not sure how much it actually helps.

If they are not lame I wouldn't worry too much, just cut away any loose horn and clean out the pocket. when they do go lame on it is is often a wee stone gone into the pocket, and it is the time of year when scald is very much around too.

dyedinthewool · « **Reply #4 on:** November 18, 2011, 05:26:22 pm »

Not sure if this will help, but since putting (and topping it up regularly) lime in the doorways of the sheds and gateways so they have to walk through it to get fed or their hay mine don't seem to get so much trouble.

I found this tip on one of the forums threads.

moprabbit · « **Reply #5 on:** November 19, 2011, 09:21:13 am »

Thank you all for the replies so far. They do have mineral bucket in the field which they use, but I might look out for something specifically for feet. They're not lame, so I will just trim off the loose bits. Thank you for the tip about lime - but I don't think I know anywhere to get it from. Someone mentioned to me about using Stockholm tar on their hooves - has anyone heard of this before? I use to use it on my horses hooves, so I would think it would be ok for sheep?
Thank you again for your ideas.

supplies for smallholders · « **Reply #6 on:** November 19, 2011, 02:20:49 pm »

Hi,

Some of our customers swear by cheviot foot rot paste.

Thanks

dyedinthewool · « **Reply #7 on:** November 19, 2011, 07:02:28 pm »

Quote from: moprabbit on November 19, 2011, 09:21:13 am

Thank you for the tip about lime - but I don't think I know anywhere to get it from.

It's Hydrated Lime you can get it from any builders merchants and Famers feed merchants comes in a 25kg bag.

I use it on the floor of the sheep barns in the pens after/between the ewes lambing - it kills all the bugs.

Should think stockholm tar may work to strenghten the hoof but a bit messy...

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2011, 01:13:08 am »

Lime in gateways and around troughs is recommended by all the sheep foot experts - if you have a problem with footrot or scald within a flock, that is. As ditw says, it kills the bugs so reduces spread of infection. I haven't used it myself and I don't know if it is as effective on other foot bugs as it is supposed to be on footrot and scald - but I can't see why it wouldn't be.

I don't know if it actually kills active infection in an individual sheep, as well as killing bugs on the ground which could otherwise infect other sheep.

I have used Cheviot Foot Paste, on veterinary advice, in a tup that kept getting 'angleberries' (granulomas.) It did help. I feel sure it would help with active footrot or scald too - but blue spray is so very effective I think we all just use that for those infections, eh? From moprabbit's description there wasn't any active footrot or scald, just flaky hoof coming away from the foot, which could mean an old footrot infection from which the sheep has now recovered, or Anke thought it sounded like Shelley hoof.

moprabbit · « **Reply #9 on:** November 20, 2011, 05:19:06 pm »

Thank you again for the replies. I had another look at the ewe with the worst feet yesterday. Her hoof is like if one of our nails had partly come off - so I trimmed it back as far as I could and then put Stockholm tar on it. And yes it is very messy!! She's never had foot rot, but I'm going to get some Cheviot foot rot paste - it sounds good.