[TheSmilingSheep]

This is such an interesting thread. 
We've had a bit of a gloomy time, particularly with shelly hoof, but then got rot in the winter....(only, like Womble, it took us a while to realise we had footrot  )
Went on vet run course - very clear uncomplicated message already summarised well here: don't trim! (if footrot then treat with spray and jab; if shelly, very possibly trim, but also with caution)....
We've tried v hard to abide by new non trimming rules...
Worst bit is just looking at what seem to be 'unattractive' feet, lots of hoof (ok, probably wrong technical term) growing under and around - think Bionic is right and we should choose some colourful varnish.....

[Marches Farmer]

If it makes you feel better you can always use a/b spray.

[Hellybee]

We moved them along today and my MIL was quite impressed, look not one lame one she said.  I ll only trim the odd back foot if a toe is too long. 

[Womble]

To be honest a ewe with feet like that . . . . . . should only be really going one place.

Noooooo, I know she's not my best ewe, but she's my absolute favourite    (and I don't care if that's pathetic - I know you all have favourites too, whether you admit it or not!  ) So the two that have had problems so far are a) my most expensive ewe and b) my favourite. Great. Remind me why I do this again?  .



I also feel responsible too, since if not trimming is the cure, was something I've done the cause? The trouble is, if you don't trim for shelly hoof (and I have never trimmed for any other reason) it has a tendency to get worse and worse as more mud gets impacted into the pocket. And as for keeping them on short grass and dry ground..... 

However, since we're having a useful discussion, here are some more pics I took last night whilst the zinc sulphate was drying.

Firstly I noticed that she stands knock-kneed, which I think may have contributed to the shelly hoof and these other problems.  Can you see how standing like this is putting extra pressure on the (bad) inside toes marked in red?  She also has a swollen right knee, perhaps from walking on her knees recently, or maybe from dragging me across the paddock when she realised I was trying to catch her last night! (She might be in pain, but I have seen lamer ewes!)



I think this also explains why she tends to stand with her feet very close together, or cross legged as if she's about to launch into a dressage routine. I couldn't get a decent photo of that and wasn't going to make her pose, but can you see that by standing like this her weight has now transferred onto her good outer toes (green), thus taking the weight off her bad inner toes (red)?



Interesting eh?  I'll keep posting pics as things develop, and keep the comments coming please! 

[Bionic]

Womble, was she a ballet dancer in a previous life ?

[Oopsiboughtasheep]

Thankyou Womble! And it's not at all 'pathetic'. I too have Shelley hoof in my 2 Zwartbles. Nothing dreadful but even though the advice is not to trim (and I get that) I am worried about the Shelley hoof getting worse if I don't. I also understand about culling for persistent problems that are too expensive to manage from a commercial perspective or that shouldn't be passed on from a breeding point of view. However, my sheep (only the 4) are 'mowers' and have proved to be brilliant for that and because I'm a softie, I am now ridiculously fond of them, so the thought of 'culling' them for poor feet because I had 'left them' is more than I could bear. That's why this thread is so useful, as some of us have to think about this from different angles than others to make it work for us (and possibly from different angles for different breeds of sheep).

Bionic -  I have often referred to my Z's as ballet dancers as they are so leggy and graceful with perfect pirouettes on occasion! For my TexelxRyelands though.......think Shot Putters!!

[Kimbo]

weve only had sheep for 3/4 weeks but I completely understand why you don't want to cull her. I also understand why some members couldn't keep her. Id feel just like you, but then I don't need our sheep to make commercial sense. My goodness, if I applied commercial sense to any of our activities Id give up tomorrow.....but our life would surely be so much "poorer" if I did.
On the other hand...... breeding from her? Can you justify that if bad feet will be passed down to her lambs? Tricky

[Womble]

Well, I did discuss a compromise with her this morning when she was in the bath  : As long as we can get her sound again, we won't eat her. We'll just eat all of her children instead.

Sounds perfectly reasonable when you put it like that don't you think? 

[SallyintNorth]

Pregnant ewes put more strain on their feet...  So you may find she gets bad feet again when pregnant.

And if you do keep her, you may need to consider footvax for her and any offspring, or she and they could be a constant source of reinfection in your other sheep.  And if, once footvaxed, any get footrot again, then they really do have to go.

[Marches Farmer]

I agree.  I only had to Footvax the stock once and haven't seen it (or scald) for 8 years.  If I had to do it again I'd wait until the flies die off in the Autumn - the older sheep were fine but the young sheep presumably with thinner skin) found the oily adjuvant in the vaccine very irritating and rubbed themselves raw on the injection site, so we had to gather them every couple of days and treat the wounds, which was no fun for us or the sheep (we did it in May).

[Womble]

So, one week and a couple of zinc sulphate baths later,



and things aren't looking quite so shocking.





Womble has started attacking me with something that looks like Axle Grease.


It seems to fill up the holes quite nicely, and I can run around now (though I'd rather still walk).

It's early days, but watch this space! 

[Kimbo]

HaHa!! Nice one Womble.
Funny pic of your dear ewe in that.... contraption! Did you buy all the hinges B&Q had in stock? 

[Womble]

No, I can assure you all hinges were all wombled!  It's a split height door you see - ewes and lambs. Oh, and whatever do you mean 'contraption'? 

[Hellybee]

is there any trim able material on the heels, perhaps it will help alleviate the weight on her toes.  She's beautiful x

[Anke]

Now how did you manage to get all 4 feet into the photo  ? Is this ewe a contortionist? Are these from one ewe or are there two hiding behind you???

Seriously -shelly hoof is one of those things, worse on wet ground and during winter. I have some Gotlands that get it, and the odd dairy goat too....Supposedly feeding some seaweed granules may help, but my goats won't touch it at the moment.... I just live with it...