The importance of feet examination in sheep health management

Lameness is still the biggest welfare issue present on sheep farms. In order to prevent and control lameness outbreaks on sheep farms, a good set-up is required, as well as a systematic approach to examining the foot and limb. The cause of lameness cannot be assumed to be foot-rot, but instead there are a whole host of conditions. These may be of a microbial aetiology, such as scald or contagious ovine digital dermatitis, or of non-microbial aetiology, such as white-line lesions or toe granulomas. The consequences of lameness can be far reaching, not only affecting the number of lambs born, but also the size of the lamb and whether they manage to get in lamb the following year. It can result in the difference between making a profit or a loss in the financial year.