Comparison of Morphometric Measurements and Shape And Dimensions of The Distal Phalanx Bones on Extremity Radiographs of Sheep And Goats Kept Under Natural Conditions

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Sheep and goat breeding has an important place in animal husbandry inTurkey. The aim of this study was to take some measurements on hooves of sheepand goats living in pasture conditions without chiropody and to determine thehoof sizes of healthy and overgrown individuals. This shall give an idea aboutthe decision to trim. Another aim was to detect normal variations of thicknessof dorsal and solar hoof wall on distal extremity radiographs of these animals.Morphological classification and comparison of P3 bones in both species willalso contribute to the identification of species differences on bone basis. 88Saanen goats and 50 Kıvırcık sheep kept in BUU Veterinary Faculty MedicineResearch and Application Farm were used. Dorsal wall (DW) length, heel length,diagonal paries ungulae length, solar width, solar length, axial and abaxialwall heights of the hoof and DW angle were measured with callipers. Dorsal andsolar wall thicknesses were determined on axio-abaxial radiographs. Inaddition, 5 different types of extensory process models for sheep and 6different types for goats and three different DW shapes were identified.Significant differences were found in almost all parameters determined on thehooves according to the location of the hoof and age groups. The averages ofthe same parameters according to the position of normal and overgrown/deformedhooves and age groups were determined and reference values were established.The rate of hoof overgrowth was 5.3% in sheep and 32.5% in goats. The shapedistribution of the extensory process according to the location of the foot wasnot statistically significant in sheep, but significant differences were foundin goats. In conclusion, the hoof measurements and distal phalanx shapes ofsheep and goats differ both from each other and in terms of the location of thehooves.<o:p></o:p>