Day 25: Cow Pedicures

No, it's not quite a spa experience, but cows need their feet looked at & reshaped on a regular basis. Again, these are not small animals, and there is obviously some safety concerns in trying to pick up a cow's foot to inspect it.  So, we use this contraption, known as a hoof trimming chute, to safely secure the cow & allow us to lift her feet up one by one. 

It has belts & pulleys that support the weight of the body of the cow, while other ropes and bars allow us to pull a cow's foot up to inspect it, and do any necessary repairs or wrappings to heal injuries, warts, or sores.  We try to put each cow in the chute and examine her at the end of each lactation, before she is dried off, but sometimes we have to treat cows with problems as well.  This allows us to do this safely for us, and the cow.

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