Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Welfare and Lameness: Footrot Control Programmes

Footrot is the leading cause of lameness in sheep worldwide, causing significant pain and economic losses. Coordinated flock control programmes can eliminate footrot from individual flocks.

Key Facts

Footrot is caused by the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus in synergy with Fusobacterium necrophorum
Lame sheep are significantly impaired in their ability to compete for food and water
Elimination programmes using vaccine, culling and foot bathing have succeeded in many flocks
The five-point plan for footrot control has been validated in UK research trials
Early identification and treatment prevents severe lameness and chronic welfare deterioration

Welfare Considerations

Footrot causes chronic, preventable pain in millions of sheep annually. Evidence-based elimination programmes can remove this welfare burden from entire flocks within two to three years.

What You Can Do

Implement the five-point plan for footrot control in affected sheep flocks
Support biosecurity measures preventing footrot introduction when buying sheep
Advocate for lameness scoring as a mandatory welfare indicator in sheep farm audits