Using Foot Scores to Build Better Foundations for Cattle by Macey Mueller for the Red Angus Magazine Cattle spend a lot of time on their feet so it’s easy to see how structural issues in the hoof can negatively affect performance and longevity in a herd. While extreme cases are often culled on obvious visual evaluation, researchers, breeders and commercial cattlemen alike are continuing their focus on more comprehensive foot scoring and its potential to make directional improvement in foot traits.
Weaber said there was a strong genetic correlation between front hoof angle and rear hoof angle (0.88), front hoof depth and rear hoof depth (0.94) and front claw shape and rear claw shape (0.75).
Foot Scoring Research Kansas State University cow-calf extension specialist Dr. Bob Weaber recently worked with a team of researchers to identify the most appropriate system for foot scoring and the genetic relationships between hoof characteristics and limb angulation in Red Angus and Simmental cattle.
Although scores were collected on 13 different traits during the study, Weaber said hoof angle and claw shape are considered adequate and realistic measures for data collection and animal selection.
The project was jointly funded by the Red Angus Association of America, American Simmental Association and K-State’s Global Food Systems initiative. Overall, heritability estimates in the data set ranged from approximately 0.2 to 0.3, which is similar to the heritability of weaning weight.
“These strong genetic correlations tell us those traits are under the control of a common set of genes, which helps us make a recommendation to focus on scoring the worst foot rather than a front foot and a rear foot or individual scores on all four feet,” he said.
Structural hoof issues can negatively affect cattle’s performance and longevity in the herd.
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RED ANGUS Magazine | February 2022
Although scores were collected on 13 different traits during the study, Weaber said hoof angle and claw shape are considered adequate and realistic measures for data collection and animal selection.
Dr. Bob Weaber
Researchers also looked at limb angulation and its genetic relationship to hoof structure. They found the front side view (shoulder angle) has a relatively strong genetic correlation with front hoof angle (0.46) and front heel depth (0.45), and rear side view (hock set) has a strong genetic correlation with rear hoof angle (0.72). “The structure of the animal in terms of shoulder set, the drop from hooks to pins and the hock set does manifest itself in the differences in foot attributes, both phenotypically and genetically; the foot ends up being a reflection of everything above it,” he said. “The correlations between hoof
