Footrot in Sheep: Managing a Painful and Prevalent Lameness

Footrot is one of the most significant causes of lameness in sheep worldwide, causing severe pain and reduced welfare. Effective flock management, vaccination, and prompt treatment can dramatically reduce its prevalence.

Key Facts

Footrot affects an estimated 10% of the UK sheep flock at any one time, representing millions of animals
The disease is caused by a synergistic infection between Fusobacterium necrophorum and Dichelobacter nodosus
Infected sheep experience severe lameness and may be reluctant to stand, leading to weight loss and poor condition
Wet conditions favour the survival of causative bacteria in soil and spread between animals
Footvax vaccine reduces both incidence and severity of virulent footrot in endemic flocks
Five-day antibiotic foot bathing programmes can achieve significant flock-level reduction in prevalence
Sheep with footrot show clear pain indicators including reduced grazing time, weight shifting, and kneeling to eat

Welfare Considerations

Lameness from footrot causes persistent, severe pain that significantly reduces sheep welfare. Lame sheep spend less time grazing, lose body condition, and show behaviours consistent with chronic pain including isolation from the flock. The high prevalence of lameness on some farms — sometimes exceeding 5% at any time — represents an ongoing welfare emergency. The Five Point Plan developed by the AHDB provides an evidence-based framework combining prompt treatment, vaccination, culling of chronically affected animals, and improved biosecurity to achieve significant welfare improvements.

What You Can Do

Implement the Five Point Plan for lameness control on sheep farms
Treat lame sheep within 3 days of first identification — early treatment dramatically improves outcomes
Use Footvax vaccination in flocks with endemic virulent footrot
Avoid overstocking on wet ground during high-risk periods
Cull chronically lame sheep that fail to respond to treatment rather than continuing to allow suffering