Author Topic: Foot trimming badly misshapen feet?? (Read 3012 times)

Hillview Farm · « **on:** July 15, 2014, 08:03:27 am »

I know there is a lot of debate on the subject but I wanted you lots advice!

We purchased some in lamb ewes in jan, viewed them in December. They were out in a field with long grass and in a small pen and the feet were not bad but obviously didn't tip them up as there were in lamb.

Met half way to pick them up and got home.... Not the ewes we picked out, nice but bad feet! Badly overgrown to the point of them not walking correctly. After they lambed I did there feet but nothing too drastic.

They are a lot better but some are still in need of a trim back.

I know people say not to trim unless they are lame but surely if they aren't walking correctly this will lead to lameness and joint issues? Thoughts?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2014, 08:19:09 am »

It can take several trimming sessions to get feet right. Bear in mind what a "perfect" foot should look like and rest the bottom blade of the footshears flat on the base of the foot, trimming from back to front. That way you won't take off too much. If it bleeds or you're shaving off more than a small sliver of white line, you're going too deep. No sheep should be lame after trimming if it wasn't before. Yes, you'll probably have some where the hoof sticks out at the front or sides but don't be tempted to make them look pretty! They will grow out, given time and some dry weather and you'll be able to get them right.

As an aside, when I have folks choose sheep on the farm for collection later I always get them to spray marker on the backs, so they know that what they chose is what they're getting.

Hillview Farm · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2014, 08:34:37 am »

I was going to trim them over months rather than in a oner!

Sadly we had marked them with red spray and they went into the trailer with red spray but once we got home and letting them out... Still wet! I wasn't going to kick up a fuss they had travelled a long way and were 6-8 weeks pre lambing and didn't want to stress them again with that journey. I won't buy from them again and if they don't cone right then go on there way, but they have produced some cracking lambs

Womble · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2014, 09:00:02 am »

That's absolutely shocking!!

Daisys Mum · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2014, 01:29:05 pm »

That is shocking but a horrible thing to do, on the subject of misshapen feet my tup has one hind foot where his
"Toes" cross over do you think that it will ever come right with trimming?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2014, 05:41:43 pm »

Sometimes the weight plus a misaligned foot due to problems with the horn causes the clees to splay or one to take more weight than the other and then the ligaments compensate and the foot is always out of kilter. Depends how bad it is, whether he was always like it, in which case it may be a heritable trait and you'd want to consider whether or not to breed from him anyway, and whether it's a back foot, which he'll be resting his weight on when tupping.