Peak time for Sheep Welfare Scheme tasks

There are about 2m ewes registered across 21,900 participants in the Sheep Welfare Scheme. While the two main tasks selected by lowland and hill farmers are mineral supplementation of ewes post-mating and pregnancy scanning, there are significant numbers partaking in the six remaining tasks – lameness control, parasite control, prevention of flystrike, supplementation of lambs pre weaning, parasite control and mineral supplementation of lambs post-weaning.

With many of these tasks coming into action in the coming weeks, this article aims to give an update of the requirements of the varying tasks and information to ensure the best possible outcome for the farm. Remember that receipts of products purchased must be retained for inspection by the Department while an inspector can also request a visual assessment of the flock.

Lameness control

Lameness control is a measure for lowland flocks which aims to establish the level of lameness and implement a programme to reduce its incidence. The flock must be assessed five times during the year in the following time frames: during May/June; July/August; prior to mating (August to September/October); at least once between mating and lambing; and finally any other time that the flock owner sees as delivering the best benefit. The number of sheep treated at the time of assessment must also be recorded along with the product used and any other lameness preventative measures.

The first step in implementing a lameness control programme is to establish the cause of lameness. Each year, significant time and expense is invested in treating a disease which has been misdiagnosed. Photos below details the six main causes of lameness and a description of the characteristic signs and a brief recommendation for treatment is detailed below. Routine foot-paring of hooves was recommended in the past but this approach is no longer advised. If foot trimming is required, hooves should not be over-pared, with the clippers disinfected between each hoof to prevent the risk of disease spreading.

Lame sheep should also be isolated from the flock with the exception of cases of scald where routine foot bathing is used to address the issue. The lame sheep should be kept isolated and only returned to the flock once you are satisfied they have recovered. Likewise, purchased sheep should be quarantined and given necessary precautionary treatment to prevent the risk of importing disease.

Animals should be marked so that repeat offenders can be selected for culling as it is these sheep that generally end up giving the most problems. You should also avoid retaining replacement progeny from these persistently lame sheep. Maintaining records in the scheme action record book will allow you to see if an improvement is being made with the general target of keeping lameness under 5% of the flock.

Prevention is certainly better than cure with lameness and regular foot bathing will help to keep any issues at bay. Grazing management can also play a role. For example, footrot bacteria only survive on pasture for two weeks. Therefore adequate treatment followed by grazing on clean swards can greatly aid in reducing lameness issues. Vaccination can also play a key role in reducing the incidence and can be used strategically along with an overall control programme.

Scald

Footrot

CODD

• CODD is often mistaken as footrot. The main difference is the infection occurs at the top of the hoof or coronary band (area where hoof meets the leg).
• Like footrot there is a grey pasty scum plus there can be some bleeding but there is no characteristic smell.
• In severe infections it is not unusual for the hoof horn or hoof shell to fall off.
• The disease is very painful and will significantly affect performance.
• Veterinary advice should be sought if CODD is suspected.
• Injectable antibiotics or antibiotic footbaths can be administered by vets.

Toe granuloma or strawberry foot

• Toe granuloma gets the name “strawberry foot” from its appearance. A piece of circular-shaped tissue grows out of the bottom of the hoof.
• The most common cause of infection is excessive hoof trimming where the soft part of the hoof tissue is excessively cut into (blood should not be drawn) and damaged.



• The flesh is very sensitive to bleeding and painful.
• The ailment is difficult to treat and frequently requires veterinary advice.
• Despite treatment, sheep may still not recover and may require culling.

Hoof/foot abscess

• An abscess occurs where the hoof tissue is damaged.



• This can cause an infection resulting in the development of an abscess at the top of the hoof where it meets the coronary band.
• The condition is painful and sheep will be lame.
• Treatment can be carried out with antibiotic sprays or injectable antibiotics.

Shelly hoof

• Shelly hoof is a condition of the hoof that results in the wall of the hoof separating and lifting away from the hoof.



• The animal may not appear very lame in normal conditions but may become lame if walking on uneven or hard ground or stone yards, etc. This can result from dirt, stones, etc, lodging between the hoof and the lifted hoof horn area.
• Unlike other lameness diseases, the cause is unknown with hoof damage thought by vets to be a contributing factor.
• Treatment usually includes pairing away the lifted section of the hoof to expose a new layer underneath. Mineral/vitamin imbalances have been reported to be linked with the disease.
Mineral supplementation of lambs

Available to hill farmers, mineral supplementation of lambs pre-weaning is a measure aimed to help assist in reducing deficiencies. The period for supplementation is described in the terms and conditions as the main summer grazing season pre-weaning. Advice from the Department states that the most appropriate time can vary depending on the needs of each individual farm. Where there is a marked difference in weaning, a split programme can be implemented.

Supplementation can be provided by using drenches or liquid minerals, boluses or injectables. The manufacturers’ guidelines will determine the frequency of use. For example, a long-lasting bolus will suffice for one treatment where a liquid drench supplement may be required every few weeks if recommended by the manufacturer. Minerals can only be purchased from business operators licensed by the Department of agriculture and receipts must be retained to prove purchase.

Flystrike control

A suitable programme that prevents flystrike on sheep must be implemented during the high risk months. Control is focused on mechanical means such as dagging, crutching or shearing and can take place in tandem with chemical control.

In addition, sheep must be assessed twice during the period from 1 June to 30 September for the presence of dags and scored on a scale of zero (clean/no dags) to five (chronically affected). The number of sheep with a dag score of one or greater and dagged must be recorded along with receipts pertaining to chemical control.

Meal feeding post-weaning

This option for hill flocks requires supplementation of lambs for four weeks post-weaning with a suitable ration. The recommended concentrate supplementation level follows a rising scale, starting at 75g per head daily in week one, increasing to 125g in week two, 175g in week three and 250g in week four. This gives a minimum input per lamb of 4.4kg over a four-week period.

All lambs in the flock must be meal-fed for the four weeks but feeding dates can be split where there is an age gap between lambs and more than one weaning date. Feed receipts must be maintained for inspection and inspectors can also inspect feeding points for evidence of feeding. Feed purchase receipts can also be cross-referenced to dispatch documents to ensure feeding was continued for the required period.

Parasite control

The parasite control measure covers both hill and lowland flocks but differs slightly across each. Lowland flocks must carry out a minimum of two faecal egg counts during the period 1 June to 30 September to establish the worm burden. The results of the faecal egg count should be used to determine the need for treatment, with treatment delayed where results show it is not required.

For hill flocks, the measure requires carrying out one faecal egg count on lambs post-weaning for the presence of worms and treating accordingly. Both systems will be policed by laboratory results, receipts for the purchase of an anthelmintic and records kept in the scheme action record book.

It is up to participants to contact labs approved by the Department (can be found at www.agriculture.gov.ie under the farmer schemes and payment and sheep welfare scheme headings) to request a sampling kit.

Once received, samples can be collected by placing 15 to 20 lambs (not ewes) in a clean pen for as long as is required to collect a number of faecal deposits from 10 lambs. Collect the samples (at least a heaped teaspoonful) from at least 10 lambs and place in the ten separate containers provided.

It is important that samples are collected in a manner that allows next-day postage delivery or similar hand delivery. Where this is not possible, the terms and conditions advise placing the samples in a cool place and preferably a fridge not used for domestic purposes until samples can be safely delivered. Do not leave samples in direct sunlight.

Care should also be taken when treating animals to follow correct guidelines. A representative sample of lambs should be weighed with dosing targeted at the heaviest lambs in the group.

Where there is a significant difference in weight, it is recommended to use more than one weight to determine the anthelmintic treatment volume. Where using a dosing gun check that it is calibrated and delivering the recommended amount. Deliver the dose to the back of the tongue.

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Special focus: sheep handling