Hoof health: Dealing with foot problems in beef cattle
Heather Smith Thomas
Progressive Cattleman
Foot injuries or diseases need to be addressed early and resolved before lameness results in weight loss due to reluctance to travel to feed/water. Dr. Andrew Niehaus of Ohio State University says environmental conditions and genetics are the biggest factors in risk for foot diseases. Some animals have poor foot/leg conformation that puts stress on the feet or weaker hoof horn. “Those animals are probably never going to have strong, healthy feet compared to other cattle,” he says.
The Beef Blog 