Lameness is the most prevalent welfare problem in the UK sheep flock and a major issue globally, with most cases caused by preventable bacterial infections and treatable with prompt intervention.
Sheep lameness represents one of the most significant and most avoidable welfare problems in agricultural systems. The prevalence of 10% in the UK at any time means that vast numbers of sheep are experiencing chronic pain that affects every aspect of their daily lives, from grazing ability to thermoregulation and reproduction. The causes are well understood and largely preventable through vaccination, footbathing, genetic selection for hoof conformation, and pasture management. Treatment with antibiotics is effective when prompt but much less effective after the condition has become established. The Five Point Plan, developed collaboratively by the sheep industry and welfare organisations, provides a practical management framework that, if implemented, would dramatically reduce lameness prevalence. The primary barrier to implementation is not knowledge but time, cost, and competing farm management priorities.