Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: trimming feet  (Read 8501 times)

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: trimming feet
« Reply #15 on: November 07, 2016, 10:26:56 pm »
I was always told never trim footrot feet. Footrot bacteria lives in the soil too hence why it's so contagious. Sort the footrot out first then trim the feet once it's clear and healthy again.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: trimming feet
« Reply #16 on: November 08, 2016, 08:39:19 am »
No apologies for mentioning again that we vaccinated against footrot once, in 2007, and haven't seen footrot or scald since.

Black Sheep

  • Joined Sep 2015
  • Briercliffe
    • Monk Hall Farm
Re: trimming feet
« Reply #17 on: November 08, 2016, 07:20:30 pm »
Blacksheep - in the link, they say that footrot bacteria are anaerobic. If so, trimming to expose them to air does have a sort of logic to it don't you think?

Yes, they do seem to be. As anaerobic is about the exclusion of oxygen while I could see the potential plausibility of removing barriers to the passage of air I'm not sure whether removing bits of hoof would actually make a difference. Oxygen travels ok in solution - otherwise our bodies wouldn't function - so in theory could still diffuse through a wet mushy mass caught under an overgrown hoof. A lot also depends on just how sensitive to oxygen the bacteria is - this does vary.

But this is where I was going with the "it's obvious" bit. The hypothesis that removing hoof will reduce anaerobic conditions which should then reduce footrot problems seems to have been tested and found lacking, suggesting that things aren't that simple. For example, although this may even reduce the bacterial load there could be other adverse consequences that outweigh that gain - for example a delayed healing of the tissue once exposed.

There do seem to be a range of other hypotheses (the Warwick link is a very interesting read) that have been tested and found to work - and that is the acid test - does it actually reduce problems. If not it doesn't matter how plausible the rationale sounds - it doesn't work.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS