Lameness in Sheep
Lameness is one of the most significant welfare and production issues in UK sheep flocks. Beyond the impact on individual animal welfare, it can affect fertility, weight gain and milk yield across the flock, making prompt identification and treatment important both for the animal and for farm productivity.
Common causes
Footrot — a bacterial infection causing separation of the horn from the underlying tissue, with a characteristic strong odour; highly contagious within a flock.
Scald (interdigital dermatitis) — inflammation between the claws, often an early stage of, or alongside, footrot.
Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis (CODD) — a severe, highly contagious condition causing ulceration at the coronary band, which can lead to separation of the hoof capsule if untreated.
Shelly hoof / white line disease — separation of the horn allowing debris and infection to track into the foot.
Toe granuloma — proliferative tissue often following over-aggressive foot trimming.
Injury or abscessation — from trauma or penetrating injury to the foot.
The "Five Point Plan"
Industry guidance (widely promoted by organisations such as AHDB and FAI Farms) for reducing lameness centres on five key principles:
Cull persistent offenders — repeatedly lame sheep are unlikely to be a good long-term investment in the flock and can act as a reservoir of infection.
Quarantine — isolate and treat all incoming or returning sheep before they join the main flock, to prevent introducing new infection.
Treat promptly — treat lame sheep within 3 days of first being noticed, using appropriate antibiotics and pain relief rather than routine foot trimming alone.
Avoid spread — minimise standing in wet, dirty conditions such as gateways and feeding areas, and consider footbathing strategically rather than routinely trimming healthy feet.
Vaccinate — footrot vaccination can be a valuable tool as part of a wider control plan, particularly in flocks with a high background level of infection.
A note on foot trimming
Routine, blanket foot trimming of the whole flock is now considered outdated practice and can actually increase lameness by damaging healthy horn and creating entry points for infection. Trimming should generally be reserved for specific therapeutic cases, not as a routine preventative measure.
Diagnosis and our approach
Accurate identification of the specific cause is important, since footrot, CODD and scald require different management approaches.
We can help assess individual cases as well as flock-level patterns, and advise on antibiotic selection in line with responsible use guidelines.
For flocks with ongoing or high levels of lameness, we can support a tailored control plan based on the Five Point Plan principles, including vaccination strategy where appropriate.
Still have questions?
If lameness is a recurring issue in your flock, or you'd like help putting together a control plan, please contact us on 01797 252321.