Lameness is the most significant welfare problem in sheep globally, with footrot and foot scald causing chronic pain in millions of animals that is preventable with proactive management.
Sheep lameness is endemic in many farming systems and represents one of the highest-impact welfare failures in the livestock sector in terms of numbers of animals affected. Footrot and foot scald cause chronic, debilitating pain that persists for weeks or months without treatment. Many lame sheep are not identified promptly because sheep suppress signs of pain and because lameness assessment requires active flock observation. The Five-Point Sheep Lameness Plan — vaccination, prompt treatment, footbathing, culling chronically lame individuals, and avoiding purchase of untested animals — provides a comprehensive approach that can dramatically reduce flock lameness prevalence. Implementation requires management commitment and investment, but the welfare and economic returns from reduced lameness are well-documented.