Raise heifers with healthy hooves

Karl Burgi, well-known calf-care expert from Wisconsin, provided these seven take-home messages at the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar this past spring:

• Raising heifers in larger groups requires more management to prevent lameness.
• Stress compromises hoof integrity, causing lameness. Minimize stress whenever possible.
• Manage environment and feeding, and provide a pre-fresh functional hoof time to prevent corkscrew claw, a permanent claw disorder.
• Quality feed delivered consistently grows strong, healthy heifers and prevents lameness.
• A clean, dry environment is essential to prevent infectious diseases.
• Heifers with acute foot warts (digital dermatitis) become cows prone to repeated acute digital dermatitis lesions throughout their productive life.
• Prepare heifers for the milking herd by introducing them to concrete and mature cows at 7-months pregnant, and providing them with a functional hoof trim eight weeks to four weeks before calving.

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