Josh Russell was the professional that came in today to help us trim some hooves, he has been trimming hooves for eleven years! Josh very kindly explained the process to me so I could share it with you! To trim the cows hooves he uses a hoof trimming chute that safely and gently lifts the cow up so he can access their feet and get them all trimmed up. It is actually a very simple process, all you have to do is walk the cow into the padded chute and then when Josh hits a button it slowly lifts the cow up and turns the cow to the side so Josh can easily trim the cow's hooves. Once the cows are lifted and comfortable he starts out by picking the hooves and making sure they’re clean. Once that’s all done he then goes in with the electric hoof trimmer that can trim the hooves very quickly. The whole process only takes a couple of minutes and the cows are very good about getting their pedicures. After the hooves are trimmed to his liking the cow is all set to go back to their stall and munch on some more feed. The students and staff here at Witter take such great care of their animals I am so glad I got to lend a hand and see one of the many cool tasks that happen here at Witter!
Hi there! My name is Jada Mack and I am a sophomore at The University of Maine. My major is Pre-vet and I am currently in the UMADCOW class, that is how I ended up on the doorstep of Witter Farm this year. Through my time here at the farm I learned very quickly that Witter Farm prioritizes animal health, safety and happiness above everything else. The staff and students here at the farm take pride in their animals and they are so happy to be able to share them with you! There are many tasks at the farm that need to be done to insure animal health and one task that interested me the most is hoof trimming. The cows at Witter Farm get their hooves trimmed about every six months, and the hoof trimmer usually comes about three to four times a year to trim the cows hooves in batches. And guess what, you're in luck because today I watched some hoof trimming done at the farm and I'm here to tell you all about it, I even included some cool pictures that I took today!
Josh Russell was the professional that came in today to help us trim some hooves, he has been trimming hooves for eleven years! Josh very kindly explained the process to me so I could share it with you! To trim the cows hooves he uses a hoof trimming chute that safely and gently lifts the cow up so he can access their feet and get them all trimmed up. It is actually a very simple process, all you have to do is walk the cow into the padded chute and then when Josh hits a button it slowly lifts the cow up and turns the cow to the side so Josh can easily trim the cow's hooves. Once the cows are lifted and comfortable he starts out by picking the hooves and making sure they’re clean. Once that’s all done he then goes in with the electric hoof trimmer that can trim the hooves very quickly. The whole process only takes a couple of minutes and the cows are very good about getting their pedicures. After the hooves are trimmed to his liking the cow is all set to go back to their stall and munch on some more feed. The students and staff here at Witter take such great care of their animals I am so glad I got to lend a hand and see one of the many cool tasks that happen here at Witter!
1 Comment
9/17/2020 06:07:17 am
welcome back Cow Tales, I have been waiting for your return.
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