For many, the longevity of a cow or bull comes down to long-term soundness. Foot quality is important to producers nationwide and often a selection trait their customers value.
Christine Mushrush with Mushrush Red Angus in Strong City, Kan., says they aim to develop bulls slower, putting an emphasis on foot growth and structure. Mushrush Red Angus has a fall and spring bull sale strictly selling 18-month-old bulls.
“They actually are developed in an old, abandoned rock quarry,” Mushrush says. “So they’ve got pretty rugged terrain. We burn every spring for wood encroachment on the prairie and it exposes the Flint Hills, rocks and everything. You can really see the terrain.”
If their cattle don’t start with good feet, they’re not going to be productive in this environment.
“As we’ve been moving to carcass, pushing growth, it always starts at the bottom,” Mushrush says. “They have got to have good feet. The more weight and more pounds you put on that, it’s just going to increase those problems. Whether it is a seedstock bull or if it’s a steer in the feedlot, or a cow, it starts from the bottom up.”
Many breed associations now have foot and claw EPD scores to help guide buying and selling decisions related to foot quality. For Mushrush, they don’t publish those scores in their catalogs but do take note of them if customers ask.
“I know they have been working on a foot EPD for a while, but we haven’t put that into any of our catalog data,” she says. “We have it in case somebody asked on different things but we try to cull anything that has issues before anybody gets them. It’s important because if a bull can’t travel and he just lays around and doesn’t breed your cows, that’s expensive and you’re going to have an unsatisfied customer.”
When looking at a potential new herd sire, Mushrush says one of the first things they evaluate is feet.
“We’re very particular. We try not to chase the hottest bull or the biggest growth bull or the fad,” Mushrush adds. “We try to stay to our program. Looking at how they move, do they have mobility? Are they tight in their shoulders or hips? You’ve really got to look at the entire package. Quite basically, the first two things we ask about are feet and the dam.”
Feed Factor
Environment plays a role in foot quality as much as genetics do. Feeding foot issues is just as common. Mushrush Red Angus are cautious when building a ration to develop bulls.
“We have to really watch and try to balance when they come back on feed because you can also feed foot issues,” Mushrush says. “We really try to make sure, especially on our bulls, as you get concentrate in that ration, making sure that we are cognizant of timing of feeding and just slowly bumping them back. We prefer to keep them all here and graze them through the summer and delay that concentration as long as we can, just for bone development and feet.”
Merit Cattle Co. is an Angus seedstock operation owned and operated by the Liebreich family in Radville, Sask. They have an annual bull sale in March and female sale in December. Foot structure and quality rank high on their list of selection priorities.
“While foot structure is largely genetic, it is also heavily influenced by environment and nutrition, whether that be soft ground with little grit, extreme drought or a lack of key nutrients or excessively high energy rations,” Janelle Liebreich says. “Our sale bulls are developed in a 20-acre field that encourages natural movement, exercise and hoof wear rather than confinement. This helps promote durability and allows cattle to develop the strength and structure needed to work in real-world conditions.”
Sorting to the Top
The Liebreichs process cattle several times a year, giving them the opportunity to continually evaluate and monitor foot structure and soundness.
“Any potential issues are identified early, and only cattle that meet our expectations for structural integrity move forward,” Liebreich says. “Continuous evaluation and culling is the only way to improve consistency and make true progress.”
Paul Holton of Holton Red Angus in Cisco, Texas, says it can be really hard to cull a good animal because of their feet.
“We had a bull this year that was going to be in our sale,” Holton explains. “Loved him from birth all the way until we kicked him out on wheat pasture. Our cattle grow up on rocks and hard ground, and their feet stay really good.”
When Holton turned bulls out, this one in particular struggled with the soft ground and his toe started curling in on the outside.
“I told my wife, ‘I think we’re going to have to pull him out [of the sale],’” Holton says. “We don’t want to be known as people that will let that slide. I feel like we’re known for honesty and integrity.”
Liebreich added that genetic history can and will linger and even with the best plans and intentions, not every mating or genetic combination will consistently yield the intended results.
“Structurally sound cattle are built to last, and bulls must be athletic and durable enough to travel, cover cows efficiently during the breeding season, and remain sound and functional in the off-season,” Liebreich says.
