A TIME TO CULL

摘要

Many UK flocks are under-performing because of disease such as mastitis and lameness. Lamenessalone is thought to affect three million sheep at any one time.The message from Eblex beef and sheep scientist Liz Genever is: "Do not keep ewes with bad feet or lumpy udders."Ten percent of the national flock are estimated to be lame, with foot-rot and contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD) the main culprits.Both are highly infectious, therefore, keeping ewes with these conditions increases the risk of them spreading to the rest of the flock.An ideal opportunity to inspect foot condition is at weaning. Records detailing a ewe's historyof lameness should be examined at the same time. Dr Genever recommends culling ewes after three treatments, possibly two.Culling is one of the actions recommended in the five-point plan for tackling lameness that Eblex has produced with Farmers Weekly and other industry partners.