Farm Animals

Farmed Sheep Footrot Management and Welfare

Footrot is one of the most common causes of lameness and pain in sheep, and effective management significantly reduces welfare harm.

Key Facts

Footrot is caused by the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus
It causes severe lameness with tissue breakdown between the claws
Untreated footrot causes progressive pain and can lead to permanent lameness
Effective treatment requires antibiotic injection and foot trimming
Whole-flock vaccination with multivalent vaccines significantly reduces prevalence

Welfare Considerations

Footrot causes severe and chronic pain in affected sheep. Lameness scores above 3% indicate a welfare problem requiring intervention. Prevention through vaccination, biosecurity, and foot hygiene is more welfare-positive than repeated treatment of established disease. Regular lameness scoring at the flock level tracks welfare trends.

What You Can Do

Support sheep welfare standards requiring lameness scoring
Advocate for footrot vaccination as a standard flock management requirement
Choose lamb products from farms with documented lameness management programmes