Sheep with splayed toes?

[Tommy_T]

Looking for some advice please.

I purchased eight Hill Radnor ewes at the beginning of July. I got them in on 05/08 to check their feet out as I had seen the occasional hobble and found that all of their feet were in pretty poor condition. I had queried on another post the suitability of sloping land (as I live in valley) for heavier sheep and replies were that all sheep should be okay on all terrain, regardless of lowland/upland/hill status.

They are heavy girls and we are in Wales, so it can be quite wet underfoot, whether it be rain or dew. Also the grass is a tad on the long side (above their foot but below their knee) in places as I have been here less than a year and am trying to get the place back together after the previous owners let it go. I've provided a mineral bucket to compensate for any nutritional deficiencies in the grass and I know they all use it.

I am relatively new to sheep-keeping and am therefore constantly learning. Looking at the many descriptions of foot ailments I believe this may be shelly hoof. The inner and outer hoof has separated, creating pockets. I originally thought there might be a touch of scald but although between their toes is white it is not gammy in any way, so I think this is just the colour they are. There are no lesions or cracks around the coronary band.

The worst sheep has an additional issue where her toes seem to be permanently splayed. I thought this might be to do with hoof conformation when she was upright and weight-bearing but once in the turnover crate the toes seemed to remain the same. I have read a lot about trimming feet and that it's not recommended to keep doing it (or even do it all!). I didn't want to trim and loose what integrity there may be in the hoof or weaken it further, however I have taken off loose flaps andtrimmed back a touch where the outer hoof was curving under the foot. Just trying to create as flat a bottom as possible without going too mad.

So, here's some pics. One I've included shows what it looks like when she's stood. You'd probably have to zoom in to see. I feel her right side is worse than her left? What do I need to do to tackle this? Please don't use the c-word! They are such nice-natured sheep. I bought them from a smallholder and did not fully check their feet - as I said they are big girls and I haven't mastered tipping anything bigger than my Badger Faces. This is my fault. How long would it take for a sheep's foot to get into this condition? I don't know if they had bad feet to begin with and they've got worse? I was worried it's to do with my land. The Badgers' feet were in a lot better condition but they are a few kgs lighter. I don't know if these Hill Radnors are just too heavy?

Any constructive feedback would be appreciated.

 

[hendrebc]

Nothing much to worry about there tbh. Some sheep just have poor feet and these would be some of them. I have seen worse though.
Doubt it's anything to do with their weight unless they have been pushed really really hard on an adlib cereal based diet like a show fat pedigree would have which is unlikely especially if they are eating grass and are still alive. Sloping land won't affect them.
Even if you don't like their feet you can still keep them. Just use them to produce fat lambs and keep replacement ewe lambs from the badger faces or buy something else. But you could just as easily buy something else that has poor feet too so might as well stick with what you have.
Don't worry too much your doing fine

 

[andybk]

looks quite normal , shelly hoof is prob a mineral shortage of sorts , annoying but not serious ,we all get it a bit at certain times of year , bad pasturns and teeth is what to look for , quitetly cull out anything v poorly shaped or if you get any footrot etc

 

[dt995]

We had shelly hoof and tried to fix with minerals, particularly "foot and fertility" buckets from Mole Valley. When a lot of the lambs from that ram started to develop it too we got rid of the lot.

 

[primmiemoo]

That first image - top left - looks like the gland is impacted. I usually bathe those individually with v v mild warm detol solution, and let dry on hard standing. Nothing urgent.

Yours could easily resolve by itself, but keep an eye for injury.

Aim for a no-trim system for feet. Steady walks on smooth roads if they're safely available can be more beneficial than trimmers.

 

[Tommy_T]

Thanks for the replies and reassurances! It’s nice to get a general opinion from those more experienced.
So assuming this is shelly hoof (?) how would you treat? When we got them in originally we gave them a Golden Hoof footbath, and we ran them through it again the second time. I know this is primarily a footrot/scald treatment but the zinc helps to harden the hooves. They also have a multi-mineral lick and I have just purchased some zinc Rockies. I’m hoping this all helps as like you say I think there is a deficiency issue. But what about the hooves themselves? Just leave them? I’ve read everything from packing the gap with putty to trimming all the way up and around the gappy bits Both of which I think are bad ideas! If I leave them, and the minerals improve the quality of the hooves, should they eventually sort themselves out and wear down naturally?
Primmiemoo can you explain what an impacted gland means?

 

[primmiemoo]

Ah, sorry not to have explained, @Tommy_T . If you look at the front of the foot in the first photo, in the join above the hooves you'll see a swollen area. I don't see more than that in the photo, but I have seen feet where there's a point where there's seepage.

That's a gland that, afaik, (please say if I'm right, those more expert than me) helps to oil the hoof. Sometimes it becomes impacted - I find I don't actually know why. I do know that trying to relieve it manually does nothing, and could allow infection in, so I keep any action to the topical, and try not to bruise the area.

 

[twizzel]

Thanks for the replies and reassurances! It’s nice to get a general opinion from those more experienced.
So assuming this is shelly hoof (?) how would you treat? When we got them in originally we gave them a Golden Hoof footbath, and we ran them through it again the second time. I know this is primarily a footrot/scald treatment but the zinc helps to harden the hooves. They also have a multi-mineral lick and I have just purchased some zinc Rockies. I’m hoping this all helps as like you say I think there is a deficiency issue. But what about the hooves themselves? Just leave them? I’ve read everything from packing the gap with putty to trimming all the way up and around the gappy bits Both of which I think are bad ideas! If I leave them, and the minerals improve the quality of the hooves, should they eventually sort themselves out and wear down naturally?
Primmiemoo can you explain what an impacted gland means?

I’ve seen hoof putty used with reasonably good results on a management level rather than trimming a lot of the horn away. But the hoof needs to be as clean and dry as possible before using the putty and really needs to be put in before autumn and muddy conditions return.

 

[Tommy_T]

Ah, sorry not to have explained, @Tommy_T . If you look at the front of the foot in the first photo, in the join above the hooves you'll see a swollen area. I don't see more than that in the photo, but I have seen feet where there's a point where there's seepage.

That's a gland that, afaik, (please say if I'm right, those more expert than me) helps to oil the hoof. Sometimes it becomes impacted - I find I don't actually know why. I do know that trying to relieve it manually does nothing, and could allow infection in, so I keep any action to the topical, and try not to bruise the area.

I’ve had a look at images online for impacted glands and it definitely does look similar. We’re getting them in again in a week’s time so will have a check on it. If we did give her foot a soak how long would you do it for?

 

[primmiemoo]

I’ve had a look at images online for impacted glands and it definitely does look similar. We’re getting them in again in a week’s time so will have a check on it. If we did give her foot a soak how long would you do it for?

I sit the sheep up and let the affected foot soak for a minute or two in a jug of warm water with a dash of detol in it.

Had several sheep with shelly hoof years ago. The Vet suggested applying small amounts of a horse hoof product called, iirc, Cornucressine (approximate spelling) to the affected hoof.

I don't know if it's still made, but it worked, and my nails were in better condition afterwards, too.

 

[Agrivator]

I sit the sheep up and let the affected foot soak for a minute or two in a jug of warm water with a dash of detol in it.

Had several sheep with shelly hoof years ago. The Vet suggested applying small amounts of a horse hoof product called, iirc, Cornucressine (approximate spelling) to the affected hoof.

I don't know if it's still made, but it worked, and my nails were in better condition afterwards, too.

Zinc Sulphate and Zinc Oxide are the main constituents. So standing in a bath of Zinc Sulphate would probably be even more effective - and easier.

And despite what everyone else has said, the photos in the opening post indicate that the sheep would certainly benefit from an hour (over lunch?) standing in Zinc Sulphate. It is perfectly safe and painless.

 

[primmiemoo]

Zinc Sulphate and Zinc Oxide are the main constituents. So standing in a bath of Zinc Sulphate would probably be even more effective - and easier.

And despite what everyone else has said, the photos in the opening post indicate that the sheep would certainly benefit from an hour (over lunch?) standing in Zinc Sulphate. It is perfectly safe and painless.

I've remembered, yes, that's right. It had a pleasant smell, too.

We managed without a footbath for years, and then made one, and then bought a long footbathing race for regular "walk" throughs, and now only footbathe once in a blue moon as part of quarantine for rare purchases. Always either zinc sulphate with a splash of washing up liquid, or a branded zinc sulphate with all in.

 

[firther]

I've remembered, yes, that's right. It had a pleasant smell, too.

We managed without a footbath for years, and then made one, and then bought a long footbathing race for regular "walk" throughs, and now only footbathe once in a blue moon as part of quarantine for rare purchases. Always either zinc sulphate with a splash of washing up liquid, or a branded zinc sulphate with all in.

same here we had to footbathe quite regularly to start with but now we hardly use it, maybe once a year

 

[Tommy_T]

The Golden Hoof Plus we’ve used is zinc sulphate. Have given them two goes in it so far and due to get them in for a check-up this week. Could feel the difference in their hooves straight away. Also got some Rockies zinc blocks to go alongside the mineral buckets, but just figuring out where to put them. Want to make something portable so we can move it with them when we rotate fields.

**Not sure how keen the sheep would be on standing in the footbath for an hour! Would be a long day’s work one at a time as well!!**

 

[primmiemoo]

Good to know there's progress

'Fraid they have to lump it when long stands are involved, but if your method's working, there's no need to complicate things.

With licks and buckets, it's best not to keep them in one place, or they'll get muddy around them and there could be trouble with scald. So keep them moving every couple of days.

Sheep will say if they don't need the zinc blocks.