Hoof wear is Increased by excessive contact with abrasive surfaces. Some dairy cattle kept in stanchions lack adequate abrasion to prevent hooves from overgrowing. Feedlot or free-stall housed cattle may be subject to excessive abrasion with resultant short hooves and tender soles. The more concentrated the cattle population, the greater the opportunity for build-up of pathogenic organisms. Cattle whose feet are constantly in wet areas such as unscraped concrete lots will develop softened, macerated hooves.
Wet concrete is more abrasive than dry concrete.
New concrete may be excessively abrasive. Confined cattle may be subjected to injuries of hock, stifle, and knee from stall dividers, concrete sills, and unbedded surfaces. The bacterium Fusobacterium necrophorum is the cause of the disease. Stones, stubble, or frozen ground can bruise tissues sufficiently to lower resistance to disease. This crusting occurs particularly in cattle confined in warm buildings.