Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Twitter LinkedIn
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
      • Whatever happened to?
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • National Arable and Grassland Awards
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Magazines
      1. June 2025 issue
      2. Cereals event guide 2025
      3. May 2025 issue
      4. April 2025 issue
      5. March 2025 issue
      6. 2025 Tyre Developments supplement
      7. February 2025 issue
      8. National Arable and Grassland Awards supplement
      9. January 2025 issue
      10. December 2024 issue
      11. November 2024 issue
      12. October 2024 issue
      13. September 2024 issue
      14. August 2024 Issue
      15. 2024 Drills and Seeds supplement
      16. July 2024 Issue
      17. Cereals Supplement
      18. June 2024 Issue
      19. May 2024 Issue
      20. April 2024 Issue
      21. Tyres and Tracks Supplement
      22. March 2024 Issue
      23. National Arable & Grassland Award – Meet the Finalists
      24. February 2024 Issue
      25. January 2024 Issue
      26. December 2023
      27. Agritechnica Preview Supplement
      28. November 2023
      29. October 2023
      Featured

      Cereals event guide 2025 available now

      By Matthew TiltJune 20, 2025
      Recent

      Cereals event guide 2025 available now

      June 20, 2025

      June 2025 issue available now

      June 2, 2025

      May 2025 issue available now

      May 1, 2025
    • Events
    • Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    News

    Managing sheep lameness requires a concerted approach

    John SwireBy John SwireAugust 12, 20203 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    UK sheep producers are being encouraged to implement all the proven measures to control sheep lameness, following publication of new research into practical management routines on farm.

    Whilst many sheep farmers have made good progress in controlling flock foot problems since the launch nearly 10 years ago of the industry-accepted FAI Farms Five-Point Plan to reduce sheep lameness, where flocks are not adopting all five points rigorously disease management is being compromised as a result.

    More than 530 UK sheep farmers recently completed an on-line survey organised by researchers at Harper Adams and Hartpury Universities, which examined the practical uptake of the Five-Point Plan1.

    Caroline Best
    Caroline Best

    “The results of the survey suggest less focus on trying to achieve long-term rigorous disease control,” said co-ordinator of the research Caroline Best.

    The researchers were also surprised by the apparent attitude to disease prevention, using vaccination against footrot in particular.

    “Non-vaccinating farmers would only consider vaccinating when, on average, percentage lameness increased by 15.7%; suggesting farmers are vaccinating as a reaction to lameness and not using it as a preventative tool,” said Ms Best.

    She added that the farmers who did vaccinate were more likely to cull and quarantine, though less likely to treat affected sheep promptly, which is indicative of a preference for a whole flock management approach to tackling lameness problems.

    “However, overall, farmers were no more likely to adopt the remaining elements of the Five-Point Plan if they were vaccinating, despite industry recommendations that all five points should be implemented concurrently.”

    Another concern identified in the research is the extent to which UK sheep farmers continue to routinely trim feet, which has been demonstrated to be an unsuitable practice if you want to reduce lameness prevalence.

    “We found that one in five (19.9%) farmers routinely foot trim and more than half (51.3%) foot trim animals that are lame. Just under 47% trim to correct misshapen claws without active signs of infection. Interestingly, whilst foot trimming has hitherto been a traditional practice of generations of sheep farmers, it surprised us that it was farmers aged 35 years or younger who were more likely to trim the feet of lame sheep,” said Ms Best.

    In summary, eight key flock management factors were associated with a significantly higher risk of lameness in ewes:

    • Short-term vaccination (over one year, but no more than two years) as a reaction to lameness rather than as an on-going disease prevention strategy
    • Not treating individual lame sheep within three days
    • Not carrying out measures to avoid lameness transmission
    • Not quarantining bought-in stock
    • Maintaining an open flock
    • Routinely foot trimming
    • Foot trimming lame sheep
    • Foot trimming misshapen claws without active signs of infection

     

     

     

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleVirtual ploughing match open to all
    Next Article Electronic Skid Steer loader now available
    John Swire

    Read Similar Stories

    Cereals event guide 2025 available now

    June 20, 2025

    Farmers to get fairer deals for combinable crops

    June 5, 2025

    NFU marks UK’s ‘negligible risk’ BSE status as major milestone

    June 4, 2025
    Most Read Stories

    Calls for government to include food redistribution into SFI

    July 2, 2025

    Kramp launches own-brand PTOs

    July 1, 2025

    Turney Group to take on Merlo brand with new dedicated depot

    July 1, 2025
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

    Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • Farmers Weekly
    • AA Farmer
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.