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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 121
If you have some sheep that are not limping and others that do, it is a good idea to trim those that are not limping first and put them in the footbath. Once that is finished turn them into a clean pasture, one that hasn’t been grazed for at least a week. Then bathe the feet of limping sheep and keep them in a dry area if possible. These sheep need to be treated regularly that is every 5 to 7 days, or, have them walk through the bath on the way to feeding.
Try to discover why your sheep limps, see which foot is being favored and then catch it and trim all four hooves if need be, but remember to do the sore one last to avoid the possibility of spreading the infection.
How to construct a footbath:
You will need to use a 4 x 8 sheet of half inch (1.3 cm) waterproof sheathing plywood, and nail 2 x 4s around the edge, then caulk the edges to make it watertight, and a temporary pen around the perimeter. The size of the pen should be able to hold up to eight or ten animals.
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Hoof trimming:
Ideally the shape of hooves should look similar to those of your half-grown lambs.
To trim hooves you will need either a hoof knife or a jack knife, and a strong pair of leather gloves and arm protection. Make sure that you buy the one for sheep and not cows. Your aim in trimming hooves is to prevent lameness and to give a good flat surface on the bottom of the hoof so that a sheep can stand firmly and squarely on both toes, therefore trim the hoof back to the level of the foot pad.
Trim off the excess horn so that it is level with the sole and does not stick out too far in the front. If there are still pockets where mud and manure can gather, scrape these out with the point of your knife, or the hook on the hoof knife and just trim the hoof back a little farther.
If you live in a dry climate hooves will be drier and harder to trim and hoof shears can be useful. One of the best shears are made in Switzerland and called pruning shears. The curved blades have less tendency to slip on tough, dry hooves, they are a little more expensive, but are well worth paying a little extra. Another of advantage to these shears is that they have tempered blades that are thin and very sharp, and are easier to "squeeze" than traditional shears. Needless to say, if you decide to use this type of shear, take care, it is very easy to over-trim the hoof and cut your hand.
Foot Rot:
Foot rot is a bacterial disease rather than one caused by bad weather. There are two different kinds of bacteria that can cause foot rot, one
Try to discover why your sheep limps, see which foot is being favored and then catch it and trim all four hooves if need be, but remember to do the sore one last to avoid the possibility of spreading the infection.
How to construct a footbath:
You will need to use a 4 x 8 sheet of half inch (1.3 cm) waterproof sheathing plywood, and nail 2 x 4s around the edge, then caulk the edges to make it watertight, and a temporary pen around the perimeter. The size of the pen should be able to hold up to eight or ten animals.
.
Hoof trimming:
Ideally the shape of hooves should look similar to those of your half-grown lambs.
To trim hooves you will need either a hoof knife or a jack knife, and a strong pair of leather gloves and arm protection. Make sure that you buy the one for sheep and not cows. Your aim in trimming hooves is to prevent lameness and to give a good flat surface on the bottom of the hoof so that a sheep can stand firmly and squarely on both toes, therefore trim the hoof back to the level of the foot pad.
Trim off the excess horn so that it is level with the sole and does not stick out too far in the front. If there are still pockets where mud and manure can gather, scrape these out with the point of your knife, or the hook on the hoof knife and just trim the hoof back a little farther.
If you live in a dry climate hooves will be drier and harder to trim and hoof shears can be useful. One of the best shears are made in Switzerland and called pruning shears. The curved blades have less tendency to slip on tough, dry hooves, they are a little more expensive, but are well worth paying a little extra. Another of advantage to these shears is that they have tempered blades that are thin and very sharp, and are easier to "squeeze" than traditional shears. Needless to say, if you decide to use this type of shear, take care, it is very easy to over-trim the hoof and cut your hand.
Foot Rot:
Foot rot is a bacterial disease rather than one caused by bad weather. There are two different kinds of bacteria that can cause foot rot, one