Footbathing - How Best to Do It

摘要

Footbathing is an investment of, time. The dividends it pays depend on how well it is done. Done the right way, it improves welfare, productivity and profitability. Done badly, it may offer little benefit. To understand the best way to footbath sheeprequires us to understand the objectives. These are to expose the bacteria that cause scald, footrot or contagious ovine digital dermatitis to an antibacterial agent and, when zinc sulphate is used, to impregnate the hoof horn with zinc at the point of its production. Both objectives require that the foot-bathing material should come into contact with the skin of the foot, particularly between the digits and at its junction with the hoof. So, faeces and soil should be removed from the feet before footbathing. The best way of doing this is to walk the sheep through a footbath containing plain water before the one containing the antibacterial agent. An alternative is to hold the sheep on a hard surface for a couple of hours before footbathing them, so faeces and soil on their feet dry out and are knocked off them.