A small, diverse permaculture farm (and now, Bakery!) in beautiful SE Minnesota - our dream come true life focused on Local Food, Local Art, Local Music.
I had them enclosed in a small space by the gate all afternoon. The Hoof Trimming Contraption has fence panels that attach and create a chute. They open the gate, herd the cow out,the panels guide her into the contraption (she must think they can get out through it) and they close the door behind the cow she can back out. Except for Jitterbug, who had watched LaFonda's pedicure and was having none of that; she sneaked under the electric fence wire rather than getting her hooves trimmed. (If I ever have another cow she is going to have a more calm name to live up to, nothing Jittery.)
It only takes a few minutes once the cow is inside. The hooftrimmers had come to our farm after trimming the hooves of 78 huge Holsteins at the neighboring dairy farm across the road most of the day.
Thanks so much for sharing this - I just had one of those literal V-8 moments, lol. I didn't know cows needed hooves trimmed! (I've had horses, and read a lot about goats, and a little about sheep... but somehow this never occurred to me). Also, that cow has beautiful coloring - she, in that contraption, what a contrast in concept!
In September 2008, we dived into our dream of creating a small, sustainable farm. Neither of us has previous farming experience, but we have enthusiasm and many ideas for this little 10-acre farmstead.
3 comments:
How did you get your cows to get into that contraption?
I had them enclosed in a small space by the gate all afternoon. The Hoof Trimming Contraption has fence panels that attach and create a chute. They open the gate, herd the cow out,the panels guide her into the contraption (she must think they can get out through it) and they close the door behind the cow she can back out. Except for Jitterbug, who had watched LaFonda's pedicure and was having none of that; she sneaked under the electric fence wire rather than getting her hooves trimmed. (If I ever have another cow she is going to have a more calm name to live up to, nothing Jittery.)
It only takes a few minutes once the cow is inside. The hooftrimmers had come to our farm after trimming the hooves of 78 huge Holsteins at the neighboring dairy farm across the road most of the day.
Thanks so much for sharing this - I just had one of those literal V-8 moments, lol.
I didn't know cows needed hooves trimmed! (I've had horses, and read a lot about goats, and a little about sheep... but somehow this never occurred to me).
Also, that cow has beautiful coloring - she, in that contraption, what a contrast in concept!
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