Footrot and foot scald are painful bacterial infections affecting sheep welfare and productivity that are largely preventable with good flock management.
Sheep foot health is a significant welfare issue that is often inadequately managed in commercial flocks. Footrot causes genuine pain measurable through behavioral and physiological indicators — affected sheep show reduced grazing, weight loss, and pronounced gait changes. The condition is preventable and treatable, making high prevalence in a flock a welfare management failure. Flock footrot status scoring, regular inspection, prompt treatment, and vaccination programs are all effective tools. Farmer attitude toward lameness as a welfare priority, rather than an accepted cost of production, is the critical upstream determinant.