Sheep farms halve lameness through project
10th July 2025
A three-year industry project has more than halved lameness levels across 10 Welsh sheep farms, saving £54K per year.
The project, which started in 2022, aimed to cut sheep flock lameness towards the 2% Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) target, while lowering antimicrobial use.
It was a collaboration between Sainsbury’s, Dunbia and MSD Animal Health, and explored the benefit of vaccination against endemic diseases following the NOAH Category One Livestock Vaccination Guidelines.
It more than halved lameness levels across 10 Welsh sheep farms – saving an estimated £54,000 per year and slashing antibiotic use.
Five point plan
It involved just under 6,000 ewes across hill, upland and lowland systems.
Over the project’s duration, average flock lameness fell from 6.3% to 2.7%, thanks to rigorous application of the Five Point Plan – treat, cull, avoid, quarantine, and vaccinate – and ongoing monitoring using MSD Animal Health’s sheep lameness control planner.
The plan provides a clear framework for tackling lameness and, when implemented properly, builds resilience, reduces infection pressure and improves immunity,” said Sonja van Dijk from the MSD Animal Health Market Access Team.
“All ten farms improved their lameness control scores by 94%, rising from 12 to 23 out of 25 – and that translated directly into healthier sheep and financial gains.”
Before the project began, lameness was estimated to be costing the 10 farms a collective £84,000 a year in lost productivity and medicine. By 2025, that had fallen to £30,000 – a £54,000 annual saving.
The benefits of vaccination with Footvax also stood out. “Vaccination cost just £2.58* per ewe per year yet delivered savings of £11.42 per ewe per year – more than a fourfold return,” Ms van Dijk added.
This figure is based on three doses of vaccine in the first year (for replacement ewes) and one dose thereafter, and assumes a ewe replacement rate of 20% each year.
Transformative difference
Gerwyn Evans and his family, who farm 950 Welsh and Welsh cross ewes plus 220 ewe lamb replacements on a 640-acre hill unit in Tregaron, Ceredigion, were involved in the project and saw lameness prevalence drop from 8.8% in 2022 to just 0.8% by the end of 2024.
“We’re delighted that lameness has fallen to such a manageable level, especially through some of the wettest weather we’ve ever had,” said Gerwyn.
“This has always been our biggest flock health challenge – and our daughters were spending hours catching and treating lame sheep. But being part of the project helped us really focus on the issue. The difference has been transformative.”
They are now much stricter on culling repeat offenders and quarantine all incoming rams for at least four weeks. Gerwyn added: “Vaccination has made a huge difference too – we started Footvax in 2023. It’s a no-brainer – vaccine is far cheaper than constant use of antibiotics, which we want to move away from anyway.”
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Wider value of being proactive
Leisia Tudor, agriculture manager at Dunbia, said the project demonstrates the wider value of tackling lameness proactively.
“When you see the impact the Five Point Plan has had, it’s clear this is about more than just treating lame sheep,” she said.
“The farmers who are part of this project are seeing fewer losses, spending less time on treatments, reducing their antibiotic usage, and improving overall efficiency – all of which contribute to a lower carbon footprint.
“This kind of proactive health management is one of the aspects that contributes towards sustainable livestock production, and we’re pleased to be supporting farmers on that journey.”
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