Agnes Winter

Validating indicators of sheep welfare through a consensus of expert opinion

A consensus of expert opinion was used to provide both face and consensual validity to a list of potential indicators of sheep welfare. This approach was used as a first step in the identification of valid welfare indicators for sheep. The consensus methodology of the National Institute of Health, using pre-meeting consultation and focus group discussions, was used to ascertain the consensus opinion of a panel of sheep welfare experts. The Farm Animal Welfare Councils five freedoms were used as a framework to organise a list of current on-farm welfare issues for sheep. The five freedoms were also the welfare criterion used to identify potential on-farm welfare indicators for sheep. As a result, experts identified 193 welfare issues for sheep and lambs managed on farms across England and Wales. Subsequently, a combination of animal- (n = 26), resource- (n = 13) and management- (n = 22) based indicators was suggested for (i) adult rams, (ii) adult ewes (male and female sheep, over 1 year old), (iii) growing lambs (male and female sheep, over 6 weeks to 1 year old) and (iv) young lambs (male and female lambs, 6 weeks old and under). The results from this study could therefore be used to inform the further development of valid methods of assessing the on-farm welfare of sheep.

Lameness in sheep 1. Diagnosis

LAMENESS remains one of the most important welfare issues affecting the sheep industry. Recent estimates suggest that over 80 per cent of flocks contain lame sheep, with a prevalence in some flocks of over 9 per cent for footrot and over 15 per cent for scald. It is difficult to put a figure on what might be considered an acceptable prevalence, as any lame sheep should be a cause for concern; however, in practical terms, a prevalence of 5 per cent or more should certainly prompt an investigation of the cause and implementation of a control programme. This article discusses the differential diagnosis of foot lameness in growing and adult sheep (lameness in young lambs will not be considered). Part 2, which will be published in the next issue, will describe the options for treatment and control.

Lameness in sheep 2. Treatment and control

MUCH time and effort is expended by farmers in trimming and treating sheeps feet, often with little apparent benefit. There is widespread misunderstanding about the best measures for treatment and control of different forms of lameness, even assuming that the diagnosis is correct (see Part 1, In Practice, February 2004, pp 58-63). This article describes the equipment and procedures available for the treatment of lameness in sheep and discusses a number of measures which might be implemented to help control and prevent foot problems.

Treatment and Control of Hoof Disorders in Sheep and Goats

Lame sheep experience pain and should be treated as soon as reasonably practical. Treatment and control should be based on a firm diagnosis, and farmers should be encouraged to seek veterinary attention for animals that do not respond quickly to administered treatment. Overall flock lameness should be minimized through implementing appropriate control measures for the common types of foot lameness caused by infectious agents, including vaccination, antibiotic treatment, footbathing, biosecurity, and culling.

Anaemia in lambs and kids caused by feeding cow colostrum

Agnes Winter qualified from Liverpool in 1965. After spending two years as house surgeon at the University Field Station, Leahurst, she worked in mixed practice in North Wales and developed a particular interest in sheep. In 1986 she returned to Liverpool to carry out research into cow colostrum-induced anaemia in lambs and kids. She gained her PhD as a result of this work. She was appointed a member of the Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1991.

A ‘whole flock’ approach to disease control

MOST contacts veterinary surgeons have with sheep flocks have traditionally been for emergency work associated with lambing time, accounting for about 90 per cent of visits. Any extension to this type of work is often in response to a particular disease episode in an individual or group of sheep, which is usually regarded by the farmer as an isolated event, rather than as having implications for other age groups or for the flock as a whole. However, restricting veterinary input to the individual or affected group is an often inadequate approach to strategic disease control. Veterinarians should instead be seeking to provide a year-round flock health programme.

Vaccination programmes for sheep flocks

IMPLEMENTING a vaccination programme, and regularly reviewing how appropriate it remains, is an important part of flock health planning. Programmes need to be considered individually for each flock and, apart from vaccines to protect against clostridial diseases (and now bluetongue) to which all flocks are potentially at risk, the use of vaccines will depend on factors such as the history of disease in a flock, the risk of disease occurring, the risk of disease introduction associated with purchased stock, the cost of a vaccine versus the likely cost of losses if vaccination is not carried out and the owners/shepherds attitude to risk. This article discusses the vaccines available in the UK and, for each, describes the appropriate schedules that should be employed.