Hoof Care

Hooves seem to be a big part of health care for my sheep.  Books and other shepherds mention that a trim once or twice a year is all that is needed to keep hooves under control.  Well!  They obviously haven't seen the  growth produced by the sheep standing in my pasture!!  Our pastures are actually quite soft and lush, and while that produces a nice stand of grass it doesn't help in wearing down the hooves.  I have been told to add gravel around the water and feed areas, but I'm sure the clay ground would swallow up any gravel addition.  So we've taken up a very active hoof care schedule.  On average, the sheep get a toe trim every two months.  This allows us to trim the outer horny wall before it begins to curl under the hoof.  We also get a chance to look at the overall hoof.  

(Please note that the following information is what we have found works for us.  We are not veterinarians and do not consider ourselves experts, so please consult your veterinarian for concerns you may have about your own sheep) Now-- with that said. . . . .

We tip all the sheep into the "sitting" position.  My husband supports the animal while I get to take care of the hooves.  Trimming the hooves can be daunting.  In the beginning, my biggest concern was causing bleeding.  This usually occurs from trimming the front tip of the toe too far down.  On the other hand, if you allow the tip to grow too long, the weight of the sheep will rock back onto the heel of the hoof and cause leg/hoof soreness.  With practice, I can now estimate how close I'm getting to live tissue.  You will be able to see the "pinkness" appearing beneath the hoof growth as you trim.  For the times when I do get bleeders, I have a squeeze bottle of iodine on hand and some mediwrap (an elastic like bandage-inexpensive and great as a wound covering and strong enough to support sprained legs, etc.).  Once the sheep is upright again and standing, the pressure on the hoof helps stop the bleeding.  In addition to rinsing the cut with iodine, I put a temporary wrap on just to keep any mud or manure out of the toe cut.

We have a ewe or too that seem prone to get what I call "pockets."  Mud and gunk jams between the hard outer hoof and the soft sole.  It causes the outer hoof to pull away.  Similar to getting dirt wedged under your own fingernail, causing the quick to separate from the nail.  In this case, I trim some of the outer hoof away in order to eliminate the pocket.  I'm careful not to trim away too much, just enough to open up the pocket and keep more gunk from packing into it.  We will check on these hooves more often, until the hoof has grown down attached to the soft sole.

We've had sheep come up lame and after examining them, there is no obvious reason why.  I assume that some of this lameness is due to sprains or maybe bruising of the soft sole of the hoof.  If the limping becomes bad, so that the sheep won't move around to graze or has problems getting to the water, I will give them daily doses of Banamine.  This is a pain killer prescription prescribed by our vet.  A couple of days usually is all that is needed to give them time to heal.