When temperatures fall, beef producers should watch for signs of fescue foot in their beef herds.
“As the cold weather moves in, you are likely to notice some cows or yearlings on fescue pastures may be slow-moving early in the day,” says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole. This might be an early warning sign of fescue foot.
Producers may also notice slight swelling in the rear ankles and possible breaks in the skin from the top of the hoof up above the dew claw, says Cole. Early detection of limping is key. By the time hooves on hind feet show red, gangrene may have set in.
Cole suggests putting the lame animal in a chute and checking its lower leg, which might feel cooler because of the lack of blood flow in that area. “If the animal’s leg feels cooler than the rest of the leg, move the affected animals from that pasture and dry lot them or at least put them on a different pasture,” says Cole.