Sheep Lameness Prevention: Flock Management for Foot Health

Lameness is among the most significant welfare problems in sheep, with contagious footrot and foot scald causing chronic pain that affects millions of animals globally and requires proactive prevention programs.

Key Facts

Lameness affects 10-15% of sheep in UK flocks at any given time, with footrot being the primary cause
Dichelobacter nodosus, the causative agent of footrot, spreads through pasture contamination
Lame sheep lose body condition, produce less milk, and have impaired reproduction
The Five Point Plan for footrot control has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing flock prevalence
Vaccination against virulent footrot strains reduces severity and prevalence significantly
Foot bathing in zinc sulfate or formalin is effective when practiced correctly and regularly

Welfare Considerations

Sheep lameness causes persistent pain that is particularly problematic because lame sheep continue to attempt to graze and move, meaning they cannot adequately rest the affected limb. Unlike acute injuries, infectious lameness is a chronic condition that may persist for weeks or months if untreated. Many flocks have normalized a background level of lameness as unavoidable, when evidence clearly shows that proactive programs can reduce prevalence to below 2%. Individual animal identification and treatment recording are essential welfare tools for effective flock lameness management.

What You Can Do

Implement the Five Point Plan or equivalent systematic lameness prevention program in sheep flocks
Maintain accurate records of lame animals to identify persistent cases and flock-level patterns
Vaccinate against virulent footrot strains using available vaccines in affected regions
Establish foot bathing protocols and infrastructure appropriate to flock size
Train stockpersons in early lameness recognition and treatment to reduce time to intervention
Work with veterinarians to set flock lameness targets and monitor progress quarterly