Hoof Care: Sound Feet for Cattle, Sheep and Goats Alike

Hoof Care: Less Lameness, Better Performance

The hoof carries the whole animal. As soon as it grows too long or inflammation sets in, feed intake and milk yield drop away and the animal suffers. Regular hoof care is therefore not a side job but a fixed routine on the farm. Here you will find everything for the foot in cattle, sheep and goats: trimming, grinding, treating, bandaging and bathing.

Trimming and grinding

For the cut itself you have hoof knives with single and double edged blades, plus the ProfiLoop with its loop blade and narrow left and right hand models. With sheep and goats you usually work faster with a pair of hoof shears, such as the serrated and plain models from Burgon and Ball or the Clawcut Pro. In cattle the bulk of the work is done by hoof discs for the angle grinder, in grit 30 or 40, with tungsten carbide tips and diameters from 115 to 127 mm. A whetstone or diamond sharpening steel keeps the edge keen.

Treating, bandaging and bathing

After the trim comes the aftercare. Hoof care products such as ClauFit tincture, Podoseptan hoof paste, blue spray or beechwood tar dry out damp areas and protect the horn. If a lesion sits deeper, you take the weight off with a hoof block and hoof glue and hold the dressing in place with a hoof bandage of ClawTape, VetTape or a self-adhesive bandage. For prevention across the herd there is a hoof bath with ClawPlus concentrate, backed up by a walk-through mat and collecting sleeve.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I trim feet?
With dairy cows two checks a year have proved their worth, often around drying off. Sheep and goats need two to four sessions depending on ground conditions and horn growth. Soft, wet ground makes the horn grow faster.

Knife, shears or grinding disc?
In cattle you work fastest with a hoof disc and angle grinder and then correct with the hoof knife. With sheep and goats the hoof shears are usually enough, because the horn is a good deal softer.

When do I need a hoof block?
When a hoof has been treated and needs relieving, you glue the block onto the sound partner claw. That lets the poorly side heal while the animal carries on walking and feeding normally.