Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
area if possible, treating them regularly every 5 to 7 days, or have them walk
through the bath daily on the way to feeding.
You can construct an alternative to the standard footbath trough in the
following manner:
1.
Use a 4×8 sheet of ½-inch waterproof sheathing plywood.
2.
Nail 2×4s around the edge.
3.
Caulk the edges to make it watertight.
A temporary pen around the perimeter completes the unit. The size of
the pen can vary, but it should hold 8 to 10 animals or more. Footbaths, in
conjunction with other good husbandry practices, such as vaccination and
proper foot trimming, can stave off the foot disorders that lead to lameness.
Check limping sheep.
When you notice a sheep limping, try to discover
the reason. Notice which foot is being favored, then catch the sheep and trim
all four hooves if they need it. Do the sore one last to avoid possibly spreading
infection.
Hoof trimming.
Using a hoof knife or jackknife, trim back the hoof to the
level of the foot pad so that the sheep can stand fi rmly and squarely on both
claws. The purpose of trimming, other than to prevent lameness, is to give a
good fl at surface on the bottom of the hoof and make sure that both pads are
evenly fl at. To do this, trim off the excess horn so that it is level with the sole
and does not protrude too far in front. If there are still pockets where mud or
manure can gather, scrape these out with the point of your knife or the hook
on the end of the hoof knife and trim the hoof back a little farther. Notice the
shape of the hooves on your half-grown lambs for the ideal.
Hoof knives are sold in two sizes — large for cows and smaller for sheep.
But in dry weather, when feet are drier and harder to trim, hoof shears can
be useful.
Among the best hoof shears are Swiss-manufactured pruning shears
(Felco-2, available from Premier [see Resources]), which have come into
routine use in many large commercial fl ocks. The curved blades have less
tendency to slip on tough, dry hooves. These shears are slightly more expen-
sive than the traditional Burdizzo shears but are more than worth the extra
money. The specially tempered blades are thin and very sharp, requiring less
than 25 percent of the “squeeze” power needed with the more-traditional
shears. Because of their sharpness and ease of use, exercise caution when
fi rst using these, because it is very easy to overtrim the hoof or cut your hand,
even if you are experienced. Always wear a leather glove and arm protection
