Sheep outer horn growth over foot

[Tommy_T]

So, I have some sheep with feet where the outer horn has grown over the bottom of the foot. This covers the soft horn. What is best practice to deal with this? All I hear about is don’t trim, but if I don’t try and trim them the foot isn’t right, is it?!

 

[Paul E]

Trim them.
Welfare.
End of.

 

[Tommy_T]

How can you rectify it if the heel is grown over? If I trim/cut it’s going to bleed.

 

[MRT]

Trim - ok, but if you are going to make it bleed then my advice would be change your trim plan

 

[liammogs]

If you make it bleed you've trimmed to far! Or it's a sign of maybe foot rot underneath!

 

[Nithsdale]

How can you rectify it if the heel is grown over? If I trim/cut it’s going to bleed.

The outer hoof is like your toe and finger nails. Trimming them won't make it bleed - unless you go too deep.

If this is your first time trimming a hoof, examine a healthy foot which doesn't need trimmed first. Familiarise yourself with the shape it should be, and how 'short' the toe is.
Have a good pair of trimming shears and trim a little away at a time.



The modern mantra is don't trim feet. Yes, it's right - you shouldn't routinely trim any sheep's feet, ever! BUT in the case of overgrown toes, it's better to trim them back into shape before it turns into a mud and disease trap causing footrot.

 

[yellowbelly]

What he said ^^^^^^

 

[ShooTa]

plenty of good up to date hoof trimming videos out there...

 

[tepapa]

So, I have some sheep with feet where the outer horn has grown over the bottom of the foot. This covers the soft horn. What is best practice to deal with this? All I hear about is don’t trim, but if I don’t try and trim them the foot isn’t right, is it?!

If it's just a thin flap that's growing
down the side and turning under the hoof then I don't think you have a problem. It's the natural way the hoof grows, it's humans that have said it's an issue and should be cut off.
Yes it may create a dirt trap In some feet which may make a sheep limp so trim those but most probably won't have an issue with it.

 

[Macsky]

The outer hoof is like your toe and finger nails. Trimming them won't make it bleed - unless you go too deep.

If this is your first time trimming a hoof, examine a healthy foot which doesn't need trimmed first. Familiarise yourself with the shape it should be, and how 'short' the toe is.
Have a good pair of trimming shears and trim a little away at a time.



The modern mantra is don't trim feet. Yes, it's right - you shouldn't routinely trim any sheep's feet, ever! BUT in the case of overgrown toes, it's better to trim them back into shape before it turns into a mud and disease trap causing footrot.

I think a lot of the confusion regarding foot trimming came from different peoples ideas of what ‘routine trimming’ actually meant. There’s a big difference between routinely turning all sheep and trimming their feet, and routinely looking through the flock and treating/trimming one or two offenders.

 

[Tommy_T]

Okay, so it looked like the whole of the outer horn had grown under the foot. Like they were wearing little boots so no soft horn showing. Looking back at my first post I don’t think that was clear. They weren’t like it a month or so ago when we last had them in. This was for checking and a footbath in Golden Hoof as their outer horn felt soft and they were a touch shelly, which we thought due to the wet conditions we have here.
I contacted the person I bought them from to ask what I should do and they managed to stop in to have a look as they were passing by. They’ve said it seems like the soft horn has been hardenered up and said the Golden Hoof was prob to blame.
I had queried with the vet as before when I called them for test results and they said hard to say without seeing but just try and pare it back.
So they’ve gone back out as the seller assures us there is nothing wrong apart from the soft horn having hardened. Still not sure as it’s only around a quarter of them that show signs of this hardening.
It makes more sense - routine trimming isn’t good, but trim when needed. Then it comes down to how often is routine! I have watched videos and collected articles about it but am probably still a little nervous about cutting too deep or taking too much off. Maybe if I concentrate on knowing what a good foot looks like, and gain a bit more confidence I’ll fare better than worrying I’m trimming when I shouldn’t be!!

 

[yellowbelly]

Okay, so it looked like the whole of the outer horn had grown under the foot. Like they were wearing little boots so no soft horn showing. Looking back at my first post I don’t think that was clear. They weren’t like it a month or so ago when we last had them in. This was for checking and a footbath in Golden Hoof as their outer horn felt soft and they were a touch shelly, which we thought due to the wet conditions we have here.
I contacted the person I bought them from to ask what I should do and they managed to stop in to have a look as they were passing by. They’ve said it seems like the soft horn has been hardenered up and said the Golden Hoof was prob to blame.
I had queried with the vet as before when I called them for test results and they said hard to say without seeing but just try and pare it back.
So they’ve gone back out as the seller assures us there is nothing wrong apart from the soft horn having hardened. Still not sure as it’s only around a quarter of them that show signs of this hardening.
It makes more sense - routine trimming isn’t good, but trim when needed. Then it comes down to how often is routine! I have watched videos and collected articles about it but am probably still a little nervous about cutting too deep or taking too much off. Maybe if I concentrate on knowing what a good foot looks like, and gain a bit more confidence I’ll fare better than worrying I’m trimming when I shouldn’t be!!

Are they/have they been lame??

If not don't worry about it - leave 'em be.

 

[Tommy_T]

I’d say four/five of them were hobbling. Usually we leave them two or three days plus to account for stuff stuck between their toes, or a pulled muscle etc. Our fields seem to be riddled with rodent holes in areas so conceivable they could catch their leg down one if not careful. Two in particular seemed to be struggling. Luckily I could id them by sight, plus one of the others. As usual when you get them in it’s hard to tell so we had to just check and take back those extra we thought it may be.
So probably a stupid question, but when is a sheep classed as lame? When she can’t move? Holding a leg up?
I’ve checked them today and there’s one that looks like she’s hobbling. Not sure if she’s one we took in. Also one grazing on her knees (obvs could be the same one) but luckily enough she is the one sheep we marked as we caught her back foot when trimming (only very slightly but wanted to remember). She’s obvs kneeling on her front knees. Assume possibly we’ve made her uncomfortable by messing about with her. Will keep an eye on her. All six we had in were standing on four feet when we put them back so hope they’ll all recover, especially as a) they are crazy sheep that are nigh on impossible to gather and b) it’s time for their very first meeting with the tup soon.

 

[tepapa]

I'd class a Sheep as lame if it bobs it head as it walks. Obviously this is very slight lameness but potentially the beginning to something worse.
Someone might know of a link to a video with lameness scores.

 

[Tommy_T]

I see head bobbing but that comes and goes. I always try and focus on watching the legs. The ewe on her knees yesterday is now grazing on all fours as far as I can see, but still see some not quite right. It’s a nuisance because as soon as you bring them in they all stop hobbling anyway!
Will keep an eye on them as usual.
Thanks for all yours help