RED DEER, Alta. – A cow’s foundation is good feet, a trait too many people overlook when selecting replacements.
Foot ailments can cause an animal unnecessary pain and impair its ability to travel when foraging, walking to water or breeding.
During the Alberta beef congress, veterinarian Larry Frischke of Innisfail showed cattle producers some common foot ailments that force them to haul a cow off to the slaughter house before her time.
When selecting cattle, most people check for fertility, conformation, good bone structure and sturdy shoulders but never think to closely examine the feet, said Frischke.
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“It’s the main motor that drives that machine,” he said.
In drier areas where cows and bulls walk all day to find forage, water or shelter their feet must be in good condition.
“It’s very important, especially under the bulls during breeding season, to have good sound feet under them.”
Size and shape of the foot is important. The sides of the hoof should be straight enough for the wall of the foot to bear weight evenly. The hooves need to be proportionate in size to body weight at a minimum of 10 cm square in a mature animal.
Small feet a problem
Some strains of cattle have a propensity to small feet and can’t comfortably bear their weight during their reproductive lifetime, he said.
Upon inspection, claws should be approximately equal in size and close together with the toes almost touching when not bearing weight.
The heel should be not be too close to the ground so it acts as a good cushion for the force of every step.
Although not proven, the melanin, or dark coloring in a foot, seems to toughen it so dark-pigmented hooves are often more durable than light-colored ones, he said.
“We do tend to see overall, a few less problems in a black-hoofed animal as opposed to a light hoof,” he said. He added that selection shouldn’t be based entirely on hoof color.
The worst combination in an animal is heavy body weight, small hooves and straight hocks, he said.
