Research leads to tool
In the mid-2010s, industry leaders began hearing from commercial producers concerned about an increase in feet and leg issues. “There are likely a number of causes for the increased incidence of feet and leg issues,” stated Dr. Bob Weaber, professor and head of Eastern Kansas Research and Extension Centers, Kansas State University.
“One part is the allocation of selection pressure to other traits in the breeding objective. Part of the issue is also that fewer producers are trained to evaluate feet and leg structure.”Weaber and his colleagues at Kansas State University were among those who took feet-and-leg concerns seriously and, as a result, began conducting feet-and-leg research.
“While our breed wasn’t hearing a lot of rumblings about feet and legs, we heard enough to want to try and get ahead of the problem,” stated Harold Bertz, Red Angus Association of America director of commercial marketing.
“Our Red Angus Foundation Inc. prioritized it and provided funding for this research at Kansas State University.We were all for a tool that could help producers evaluate feet and legs.”
The Kansas State research did result in a tool, Foot and Leg Scoring Guidelines, that were adopted by the Beef Improvement Federation and Red Angus. The researchers also produced prototype EPDs for a wide range of feet-and-leg traits.
Start with the toes
“If bull buyers don’t look at feet and start there, all the great data behind the bull is irrelevant,” explained Bruce Ketchum, Milk Creek Reds, Plevna, MT. “The best EPDs, pedigree, weights, carcass scans and other data don’t mean anything if a bull can’t walk or produce daughters that have longevity. You can’t make a profit in the beef industry if a cow doesn’t last six years, minimum, with the goal of being in the herd for 10 to 12 years.
“Longevity can increase profitability, and longevity starts on the ground when you’re buying a bull.”
Cow-calf and seedstock producers who take a no-prisoners approach aim their attention on the ground: the toes of potential herd sires. In addition to being dense, each hoof should have two symmetrical claws that point forward and have appropriate space between them. Yearlings to scratch off the list of potential sires are those with an open, divergent claw set, claws that curl and one claw is noticeability larger than the other, scissor claws and/or screw claws, where the twisting of the toe places the side wall of the hoof in direct contact with the ground.
Bulls with a claw set of 5 are the ones to keep on the potential purchase list. While scores 4 and 6 show slight variation from ideal, Red Angus’ Foot and Leg Scoring Reference notes that toes with those scores are “considered acceptable.” While scores 3 and 7 show greater variation from ideal, they are “borderline acceptable for a commercial operation.”
If a crack in the hoof is evident, think twice about keeping this animal on the potential sire list, however. That crack could be an indication that the hoof cannot support the weight of the animal. Also take note of worn toes as they are often an indication of the hoof being dragged, which would suggest straight hind legs. Foot angle—the measurement of the pastern joint’s angle, the depth of the heel and the length of the foot—reveals a lot about an animal’s ability to walk and stand. A bull with a foot angle that is too steep (scores 1, 2 and 3) or a bull that has a shallow heel and long toe (scores 7, 8 and 9) should be avoided. The bulls to keep on the bid list are those with toes of sufficient length and heel depth.
Additionally, the slope of their pasterns should be 45 degrees above the ground. Pasterns play a role in providing cushion and support as cattle walk and stand, and some flex is desired. Bulls with weak pasterns, as well as those where the angle or set to their pasterns is too tight and restricted, are potential candidates for lameness issues and the removal of an otherwise genetically superior bull out of service.
Check out his walk, management
A structurally correct bull should have a well-coordinated and smooth gait, with his rear hooves being placed exactly in the indentation left by his front hoof. When evaluating a bull that moves freely forward, each of his legs should pass through a plane parallel to the midline of his body. His legs should not swing in, or out, as they are carried forward. If a bull short steps and doesn’t reach his mark, then the bull is not moving freely and he might be straight in his leg structure. Overstepping, or understepping, could impact the serving ability of the bull. A bull that under-steps often has straight hind legs, increasing the potential for mating problems.Good feet versus not-so-good feet can be attributed to genetics or the environment.
Research conducted by Weaber and his team found that “the limb angulation and foot attributes—including toe length and heel depth—were genetically and phenotypically correlated” and “have moderate heritability.”Industry research shows that well-managed yearling bulls, grass-raised bulls and lightly fed bulls tend to have fewer structural problems and longer working lives than yearling bulls that have been pushed too hard.
The “why” is simply because, as well-managed yearling bulls develop, their body weight is more in keeping with the weight-bearing ability of their joints.
“Seedstock producers have responded to customer signals that tend to suggest commercial producers prefer heavier conditioned and bigger bulls at sale time,” Weaber states. “If commercial producers want a different product—more modest development—they need to communicate that to bull sellers. Commercial producers may also want to seek out age-advantaged bulls—18 to 24 months of age—to reduce development pressure on bulls.”
To avoid feet challenges related to genetics, Ketchum does more than simply evaluate a potential herd sire’s feet.“When I’m looking for a bull, I do more than just evaluate a yearling bull’s feet,” Ketchum explained. “We have found yearling bulls, moved them out of the straw to look at their feet and their feet looked really good. But three years later the feet aren’t what we like.
“We learned a big lesson there. So now I want to see more than just the feet of the bull. I want to see the feet of the bull’s dam and the sire, as well as other progeny of the sire. You’ll see trends, and those trends can help you decide whether to purchase a certain bull or not.” — Teres Lambert for the Red Angus Magazine
