Hoof Trimming Area Checklist
- Pens should be locomotion scored each week to identify lame cows for prompt attention in the trim chute. Trim heifers at transition, and lactating cows at 60 to 100 day in milk (DIM) and dry off.
- The hoof trimming area should have a wide overhead door for mobile chute access, and be well lit and sheltered from the rain.
- There should be multiple holding areas to accommodate waiting cattle. Cows waiting 1 to 2 hours need 15 square feet (1.4 sq m) of standing room per cow. A separate lying area should be provided for cows waiting more than 2 hours.
- An ‘on deck’ area that can hold 4 to 6 cows with a 3-foot (91 cm) wide narrow race to the chute allows for handling of smaller groups.
It is becoming more common on dairy farms to have a dedicated area for hoof trimming cattle. This is perhaps not surprising given the importance of lameness prevention to overall successful herd management. Cattle should be trimmed routinely as heifers when they transition, and at around 60 to 100 DIM and at dry off, unless there are excessive hoof wear issues. In addition, pens should be locomotion scored each week to identify lame cows for prompt attention in the trim chute, and every farm should be able to place a hoof block on a cow with a developing ulcer to alleviate pain.
A stationary trim chute can likely be justified on most farms, but access for a hoof trimmer’s mobile chute is usually necessary. The area should have a wide overhead door for access and be well lit and sheltered from the rain. Transfer lanes between barns have become an ideal spot for a hoof-trimming area and a good use of this space.
Multiple groups of cattle sorted from different pens require accommodation while they wait to be trimmed, and these groups need to be kept separate before and after trimming. If cows are waiting 1 to 2 hours, then 15 square feet (1.4 sq m) per cow should be provided for standing room. However, if the waiting duration is more than 2 hours, then a separate lying area should be provided.
An ‘on deck’ area is needed to hold a few (4 to 6) cows so that they may be moved in small groups. Access to the chute should be down a narrow race that is about 3 feet (91 cm) wide. Dairy cattle do not seem to need the solid sidewalls that are commonplace on beef ranches, but the fencing should avoid the risk for injury. In general, chutes load best if the cows are channeled into the corner of a pen and then enter the mouth of the race with the lane designed to convince the cows that they are ‘escaping’ from the corner.
A bud box is a viable option in small spaces to improve cow flow. Cows would enter into the bud box, a gate would close behind them, and another gate would open where they would exit into the chute. This set up facilities cow flow since cows prefer to return to where they have come from.
Basic layout of a bud box
Lastly, hydraulic chutes require access to electricity and some overhead cable above the chute area is ideal to keep wires up and out of the way. A high-powered wash hose would also be very useful to have located nearby.
Basic layout of a hoof trimming area
Basic layout of a hoof trimming area with a bud box
Chute system with a Bud Box courtesy of Karl Burgi and Dave Kammel 
An example of a curved chute courtesy of Karl Burgi and Dave Kammel
Curved race and stationary chute
Solid sided curved chute made with Harvest store panels
Wide door access for trim chute
