Farmed Sheep: Lameness Five-Point Scoring and Treatment

Lameness is the most prevalent welfare problem in UK sheep flocks, affecting up to 10% of ewes at any time, with the AHDB Five-Point Plan providing a structured prevention framework.

Key Facts

Lameness affects an estimated 10% of UK ewes at any given time, causing widespread chronic pain
Footrot caused by Dichelobacter nodosus is the most common cause, responsible for over 90% of cases
Lame ewes have reduced feed intake, impaired lamb production, and compromised ability to compete for resources
The Five-Point Plan includes: reduce time to treatment, use appropriate antibiotic treatment, cull chronically lame ewes, vaccinate, and avoid buying in footrot
Zinc sulphate footbathing reduces footrot spread when used correctly as part of prevention
Scald (Fusobacterium necrophorum) causes pain but responds rapidly to topical antibiotic treatment

Welfare Considerations

Sheep lameness causes one of the most prevalent chronic pain problems in UK livestock. Lame ewes experiencing footrot are in persistent pain with every step, affecting their ability to graze, drink, and socialise normally. The scale of the problem - tens of thousands of ewes in pain at any given time across UK flocks - makes it a major national animal welfare issue. The Five-Point Plan provides a practical framework that has demonstrably reduced lameness prevalence on farms that implement it fully. Achieving the target of less than 2% lameness prevalence would eliminate the chronic pain burden from millions of ewes annually.

What You Can Do

Support implementation of the AHDB Five-Point Lameness Plan across UK sheep production
Advocate for lameness prevalence targets in sheep welfare certification schemes
Choose lamb from farms demonstrating low lameness prevalence through welfare assessments
Support training programmes improving farmer lameness recognition and treatment skills
Donate to veterinary welfare organisations developing sheep lameness prevention resources