Light On Their Feet: `Hoof-I-Cures' Promote Bovine Foot Health.News/Assignment Editors LYNNWOOD, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 2001 The average cow weighs about 1,600 pounds, approximately the same amount as 28 school children put together. Each foot then carries 400 pounds (seven children each), plus the additional weight of an annual pregnancy and the weight of a full udder udder: see mammary gland. before milking. With all that weight on their feet, it is no wonder why cows are particularly susceptible to many different foot problems. Cows require regular hoof hoof, horny epidermal casing at the end of the digits of an ungulate (hoofed) mammal. In the even-toed ungulates, such as swine, deer, and cattle, the hoof is cloven; in the odd-toed ungulates, such as the horse and the rhinoceros, it is solid. trimmings every six months to a year in order to keep their feet looking their best while also maintaining optimum foot health. But who do dairy farmers Dairy Farmers is one of Australia's largest and oldest dairy manufacturers, established in 1900, supplying products to local and international markets such as eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. call to inquire about bovine foot health? Hoof trimmers, sometimes called bovine farriers, specialize in the care of bovine foot health. Without regular trimmings, cows are particularly vulnerable to Hairy Wart, a painful wart that grows between the toes, and Foot Rot, a bacterial sore between the toes that causes the foot to swell. Hoof trimmers also assist in relieving pressure around a cow's foot in the case of a bruised or fractured hoof. Since the average farrier farrier a person skilled in the techniques of making, fitting and remodeling horseshoes, including hot and cold fitting, orthopedic shoeing. weighs about one-tenth as much as a cow, the process of trimming and shaping bovine hooves requires skill and agility. The hoof trimming process requires several tools including a grinder Grinder A slang term for a person who works in the investment industry and makes small amounts of money at a time on small investments, over and over again. Notes: , a hoof knife, a toe trimmer trimmer see resco nail trimmer, toenail scissors. and bottom nippers. Most tools are custom-made, although not all hoof trimmers use every tool for all examinations. For example, hoof trimmer Doug Van Wieringen of Buckley uses only three tools -- the toe trimmer, the bottom nipper nipper a tool for clipping, e.g. for claws and beaks of small cagebirds. hoof nipper a pincer-like tool with the blades curved in to face each other at the ends which are composed of two chisel edges opposing one another. and the hoof trimming knife. He travels throughout the Buckley, La Conner and Othello areas to service his "dairy queen" customers. The most essential piece of equipment that all hoof trimmers use is the hydraulic tilt table. By using this table and its nylon safety straps, the hoof trimmer is able to secure and position the cow on its side so that its feet are easily accessible. Van Wieringen notes that on average, hoof trimmers spend about 10 minutes per cow to trim and shape all four cow feet. Van Wieringen grew up on a dairy farm and has spent most of his life involved with the dairy industry. "I am 45 years old and have only spent four years of my life not working with cows," said Van Wieringen. "Caring for bovine foot health is very enjoyable work." www.cowtv.com |
|
|||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion