Its time to get the girls in and check their feet and do some trimming and balancing in preparation for a new milking season. Our Hoofcare Guide is designed to help you prevent and manage hoof issues.
Proper dry cow hoof care is crucial for maintaining healthy and productive dairy cows. The dry period provides an excellent opportunity to address any hoof issues and set the stage for optimal hoof health during lactation. By implementing the following best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of lameness and start next lactation off on the right foot.
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Conduct regular hoof inspections of dry cows to detect early signs of hoof problems. Look for any uneven wear, swelling, redness, heat, lesions, cracks, or abnormalities and pay attention to any discharge, odours, or overgrown or broken hooves. By addressing any issues during the dry-off period, you can provide timely treatment, reduce the risk of complications, and ensure a smoother transition into lactation.
A well-balanced and functional trim relieves any bruised areas, identifies underlying problems, and allows ample time for treatment. Consider scheduling a veterinarian or hoof trimmer to trim cow hooves before or during early dry off. This trim is particularly important as it addresses any existing hoof issues, relieves any bruising, and prevents further damage. By starting with well-maintained hooves, you lay the groundwork for healthy hoof growth and function during lactation.
During the dry-off period, if any hoof lesions or injuries are identified, consider using blocks as early intervention tool or to remediate severe lameness with long term blocking systems. Blocking helps to relieve pressure and pain on the affected area, allowing for proper healing and preventing additional damage. By using blocks, you provide the necessary support and care for hooves that require extra attention.
Establish a hoof disinfection routine to prevent hoof infections. Regular disinfection minimises harmful bacteria and fungi, preventing transmission of ailments. Use solution in our cost efficient and effective HoofMats or footbaths to enhance resilience, and resist disease. Prioritising hoof care at dry off sets a strong baseline for cow health, reducing costs, and improving herd longevity and productivity.
Situation - minor sole bruising, mild foot rot, small hoof cracks or chips
Duration of wear: 7-21 days
Product solution: Walkease
Situation - moderate foot rot, moderate ulcers (sole, toe or heel), hoof cracks, abscesses, white line disease (with hoof wall separation)
Duration of wear:
21-28 days
Product solution: Bovi-Bond & Softwood/Hardwood or Rubber Block
Situation - Chronic laminitis, severe foot rot, deep or chronic ulcers, white line disease (with significant hoof wall separation), deep-seated abscesses, severe hoof cracks,
inflamed coffin bone, claw deformities, thin soles
Duration of wear: 28-42 days
Product solution: Hoofers
Walkease is an early-intervention hoof block repair solution for cattle where the hoof needs to be elevated for a short period of time. The block is a new generation claw prosthetic made from Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA). EVA is a common material used in support of running shoe soles and is soothing for the cow to walk on. Used in combination with the Walkease fast-drying cyanoacrylate adhesive, it is fast and effective to apply to the hoof of the cow. Walkease blocks will naturally compress and thin after 10 to 14 days of wear. The Starter kit includes instruction booklet, 10 Walkease blocks, Walkease glue, hoof rasp and 10 pairs of latex gloves. We suggest the “mixed sizes” starter kit to determine preferred size for your own herd.
Find out more: www.shoofint.com/walkease
These clogs are ideal for longer term use or more complex treatments. Supplied colour coded, orange for right and blue for left, having these bright colours will also make it easy to see in the paddock if/when they come off, and to easily identify which claw is affected.
The Hoofers glue is packaged as single application for easy volume control. Very high strength and great adhesion with plastics. As with all adhesion products temperature and humidity will affect the setting of the glue.
These blocks are designed to stay on the claw for 4-8 weeks and may have to be removed. This is all dependent on conditions and cow mobility.
The starter pack includes 5 x left and 5 x right clogs, 10 x glue liquid, 10x glue powder, stirring sticks, and a claw checker all in a practical storage case. Full instructions provided on a handy card.
Find out more: www.shoofint.com/hoofers
Hoof Blocks reduce pressure on the injured part of the hoof so it can heal, and are most useful when the injury requires longer elevation. There is a choice of soft or hardwood blocks which comes down to personal preference. At Shoof we supply hardwood blocks as default in our hoof-blocking kits, but offer both blocks for restocking.
Hardwood blocks last longer on the hoof and are a reliable treatment for more severe injuries. These blocks should always be removed after the injury has recovered, so the cow can walk normally again.
Softwood blocks do not last as long (3-4 weeks on average), wearing down more quickly, so they do not have to be removed at the end. The pack sizes are to suit the normal applications of a cartridge of Bovi-Bond adhesive. All blocks are 112mm long.
Rubber Hoof Blocks are a unique design created to provide unsurpassed traction and comfort on wet and slippery surfaces. Bovi-Bond Hoof Block Rubber works great in combination with Bovi-Bond Adhesive. Block measurement - 18mm thick, 124mm length.
As always, our friendly Customer Service Team is here to support you and is available for any questions you might have. Feel free to call on 0800 800 801. You can also view our advanced product guides on our website.
| Hoof Health | SHOOF PRODUCT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkease | Wood Block | Rubber Block | Hoofer | Cohesive Bandage |
Hoofmat \ Footbath |
|
| Thin Sole | x | x | ||||
| Foot Rot | x | x | ||||
| Heel Horn Erosion | x | x | ||||
| Early Digital Dermatitis | x | x | x | x | ||
| Early Sole Hemorrhage | x | x | ||||
| Toe Ulcer | x | x | x | |||
| Digital Dermatitis | x | x | x | x | ||
| White Line | x | x | x | x | ||
| Fissure | x | x | x | x | ||
| Sole Hemmorrhage | x | x | x | |||
| Interdigital Hyperplasia | x | x | ||||
| Digital Sepsis | x | |||||
| Product | Prevention | Treatment | Early-Intervention | Lameness | Severe Lameness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days of block wear required | 7-20 days | 21-28 days | 29-56 days (After 56 days remove block, trim hoof then re-apply new block) |
||
| Stage | At first sign of suspected lameness (gait is off, short stride, arched back, head bobbing) | At signs of obvious lameness | Ongoing lameness where a block needs to be worn for an extended period. | ||
| Hoofmat | x | x | |||
| Hoof Knife | x | x | x | x | x |
| Hoof Trimmer | x | x | x | x | x |
| Cohesive Bandage | x | x | x | x | |
| Walkease | x | ||||
| Hardwood Block | x | ||||
| Rubber Block | x | ||||
| Bovi-Bond Glue | x | ||||
| Hoofers | x |
