How to Raise Pigeon Toed Calves
- 1). Asses the severity of the calf's deformity by having it examined by a veterinarian. A professional diagnosis and prescription for care by a trained veterinarian can assure you that you are doing all that needs to be done for the calf to thrive.
- 2). Allow the calf its own pen to get plenty of free exercise. If you tie up a young calf, or limit its movements too much, you can further damage its legs and inhibit its growth and development. While you cannot necessarily turn it out into a large pasture to fend for itself with other cattle, it does need to move and run around.
- 3). Feed the calf a selection of good quality hay and a calf creep pellet. In addition, provide a salt block and fresh water for the calf at all times. Treat the calf for parasites as recommended by your veterinarian and give it any vaccines that the vet recommends.
- 4). Have a farrier trim the calf's hooves at regular intervals, at least every six weeks. As a professional, he will know how to trim the feet in such a way that the hooves have a chance to correct themselves as much as possible. With corrective trimming, many cases of pigeon toe can almost fully be corrected.
- 5). Castrate any male calf you have that is pigeon toed. This is a congenital deformity and can be passed onto his offspring. If your calf is a female, you may choose to either send it to slaughter when it is old enough, or -- if you choose to breed it -- be sure to mate it with a bull that has excellent legs and hooves, as this will be your best chance at producing offspring with acceptable legs.