Why is hoof trimming important?

Hoof trimming plays a large role in preventing lameness in dairy and beef cattle. Naturally, this is crucial to the health and well-being of your cattle, but there’s also a financial benefit. Cows who suffer from lameness require immediate attention and a long recovery, thus reducing milk production. Happy cows make for a happy farmer, so there are many benefits to ensuring your cow’s hooves are well maintained.

By maintaining a regular schedule of hoof trimming, you can ensure your cows stay healthy and happy all year round.The whole idea behind hoof trimming is to give your cows a flat surface for weight bearing. As the hooves grow, they become less stable, and this is what you want to avoid. The process itself is painless, and essentially involves reshaping the hooves to provide a level surface for comfortable walking. We recommend annual hoof trimming, because prevention is far better than the cure.

Lameness in cattle can be caused by a number of factors. Many of those are environmental, such as the condition of the land, the weather and the distance your cows walk. However, there are other factors such as cows getting a foreign body in the foot, such as rocks, nails, screws or other debris. This can lead to pain, cracked hooves and infections. Overgrown claws can also result in lameness.

When dealing with lameness in your herd, it’s important to act fast, treat the animal quickly, and check their condition regularly. One of the best methods for avoiding lameness is with a regular preventative hoof trimming schedule. This not only provides a more level surface for your cows to bear their weight, but can also help improve claw shape and reduce the risk of lameness.

We offer a comprehensive service for both the treatments and prevention of lameness in your herd. It’s all about keeping your cows healthy, happy and productive.

It’s a fact that bulls are larger than cows, meaning they have more weight going through their legs and feet.

For this reason, it’s important that they are checked regularly.

Due to the size of Bull’s necks, they do not fit in our hydraulic chute, therefore the most important piece of equipment for examining and treating a bull is a cattle crush in good working order. This allows us to perform preventative treatments such as hoof trimming to reduce the risk of lameness in your bulls to ensure they are ready for your mating season. Ask us about our personalised bull feet trimming today.

Do you do your own hoof trimming, but always struggle to keep your equipment in great order? Hoof knives are a crucial piece of farming equipment, but they’re only effective when properly sharpened. That’s why we offer an expert hoof knife sharpening service. We offer free pick-up and delivery within the Macalister Irrigation District.

The benefit of Gippsland Hoof Care’s hydraulic chute being on a trailer means Dean will come to you - anywhere in the wider Gippsland region! Our chute features hydraulic synchronised controls for convenient and reliable performance. The ergonomic work area reduces the steps required, and therefore saves time and money. Thanks to the easy, flexible controls, you can cater for the needs of various breeds and ages of cattle. The chute goes anywhere, meaning we can come to you and make the whole process of preventative foot trimming a lot easier.

While hoof trimming is painless, any procedure that requires a cow to be held in place can be somewhat stressful for the animal. Our hydraulic chute, which has been delivered direct from the US, takes away the stress for you and the cow. With effortless loading and comfortable positioning for the cow, our hydraulic chute is safer for both the cow and the trimmer.

Dean is able to perform both Hoof Trimming and Lameness treatment on larger herd sizes in the most economic manner due to the efficiency of the walk in crush, easily set up off your existing yard structure.