Sheep with Smelly Feet

 Published on: Apr 12, 2019

Recently, I have been to several farms to help come up with a plan to reduce lameness in their flocks. Lameness in sheep is a major welfare and economic challenge. It is estimated to cost the industry £24 million, with 3 million sheep lame in the UK at any one time. 

There are several reasons why sheep become lame, and the most common causes in the UK are Footrot and Scald.  

All farms were investigated, to confirm what the main cause of lameness was in each flocks; this is vital to make sure we implement the most appropriate treatment.  

On the farms visited, Footrot  was confirmed as the primary cause of disease. Footrot is an extremely painful infectious disease and affected animals can lose weight rapidly.  Footrot is caused by the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus and produces a characteristic foul-smelling discharge.  

We used the FAI Five Point Plan on these farms; this was developed using existing science on sheep lameness and practical experience from farmers who had achieved and sustained low levels of lameness.  

The 5 points can be divided into three areas to: Build Resilience, Reduce Disease, Challenge and Establish Immunity. 

The Five points include: 

1. Cull: Lame ewes spread disease, so an aggressive culling policy is critical in the first year of controlling lameness. Culling repeat offenders. 

1. Avoid: The bacteria that cause footrot are spread from foot to foot via the ground, especially when it is wet and warm. Making sure gate ways are kept as dry as possible, moving mineral buckets and troughs regularly, applying hydrated Lime to high traffic areas will all help to avoid the risk of sheep coming into contact with the bacteria. 

1. Treat: Foot rot will spread quickly though a flock, ensuring rapid treatment of even the mildly lame sheep will help stop the cycle of infection. 

1. Quarantine: Bought in replacement sheep present a risk of introducing different strains of foot rot. New sheep should be kept separate for a minimum of 28 days, any lame sheep should be treated promptly. New sheep can be foot bathed or vaccinated depending on what best suits each farm. 

1. Vaccinate: there is a licensed vaccine available to treat and prevent footrot. 

It is also important to avoid foot trimming in these cases, as over trimming can lead to long term lameness and delayed healing.   

On the farms visited, we have only just started to implement these controls. In the New Year, we will assess how they are getting on. Hopefully we will see a significant improvement.  

If you have problems with lameness in your flock, please speak to your vet for further advice.