[agri293]

hi there 4 of my breeding ewes have went lame ,i did all there feet before they went to the tup,they were a wee bit tender but dont seem to be getting any better on there feet what would you reccomend cheers

[lachlanandmarcus]

The best thing I have used is Alamycin antibiotic spray from the vet (not from shops), it is blue in colour. It seems to dry up and heal up the soreness and limping the quickest of anything. A can lasts a good long while, I have abou 30 sheep and only get through 2 a year.

[jaykay]

I second that. Think the stuff I get from the vets is called Terramycin, but it sounds like the same stuff, antibiotic, blue and magic! Very good on scald and worse, sets them right in no time. Also good for wounds (including on the shepherd  )

[khajou]

It is good stuff. Just remember it is not waterproof  : (  (unlike the purple gentian violet spray) so will need applying daily.

[ellisr]

I am with the Terramycin and agree it is good on most wounds sheep, shepherd, dog and horse (yes all on the same day we had a disaster earlier in the year and all got treated quickly with the can in my pocket)

Note to self do not trim hooves in field with horse whilst dog is running free

[Fleecewife]

If the foot problems don't settle with Terramycin spray, then dipping them in Golden Hoof works well.  You buy it as crystals and dissolve it in water.  With just a few sheep you can hold the affected foot in a tin of the stuff for the suggested time - just a few mins.  If more are affected you can stand them in a foot bath with it in.

For sheep not in lamb you could also inject with Terramycin LA but it is thought to cause birth defects so best not in pregnant ewes.

[Anke]

I prefer Engemycin to Terramycin, it seems to work quicker, you can spray it from the can up-side down (for example when handling in-lamb ewes that cannot be turned up, and you have to do it like you would do goats/horses by lifting the foot).

But I have one every other day with scald atm - wet ground and slightly long grass - bad combination. Could also just bee that your girls went onto new (to them) ground - it seems to hit the bought-in ewes more than the homebred ones.

[humphreymctush]

Golden hoof (which is zinc sulphate) is wonderful stuff. If you havnt got a foodbath you can make one by cutting a propcorn barrel in half. or you can stand a sheep with both front feet or both back feet in a bucket.
I dont like formalin because its too harsh and corrosive.

[woollyval]

A 6 pint plastic milk bottle with the top cut off but leaving the handle is excellent for soaking a sheeps hoof

[Fleecewife]

A 6 pint plastic milk bottle with the top cut off but leaving the handle is excellent for soaking a sheeps hoof

That's a good idea 

[Rosemary]

A 6 pint plastic milk bottle with the top cut off but leaving the handle is excellent for soaking a sheeps hoof

I need milk so I'll buy a 6pt carton today. None of mine are lame but you never know 

[mmu]

I prefer Engemycin to Terramycin, it seems to work quicker, you can spray it from the can up-side down (for example when handling in-lamb ewes that cannot be turned up, and you have to do it like you would do goats/horses by lifting the foot).

But I have one every other day with scald atm - wet ground and slightly long grass - bad combination. Could also just bee that your girls went onto new (to them) ground - it seems to hit the bought-in ewes more than the homebred ones.

I didn't know you could buy Engemycin in spray form, we only have the injection.  Do you have to get it through a vet?

[humphreymctush]

The topical treatment of individual ewes is something to discuss but I have found that by regular flock footbathing you can pretty much eliminate the need for it. When I bought this farm ten years ago footrot and scald were my most serious problems. I made a big square cement stand-in foot bath that could hold about 15 sheep at a time and footbathed the whole flock in golden hoof  regularlly and frequently. Unlike formalin it can be used over and over so it wasnt expensive. To begin with it was about every couple of weeks, then just whenever they were gathered and now hardly ever. It just doesnt seem to be a problem any more. I now use a long thin footbath in the race and mainly just for new sheep. Another thing I do very little is foot trimming. I think footrot can cause over growth (rather than vice versa) and careless trimming defineatly causes more problems than it solves. When you have lots of sheep addressing problems on a flock level is essential but I would say that even if you have just a few a preventative approach is usually best.

[Anke]

I prefer Engemycin to Terramycin, it seems to work quicker, you can spray it from the can up-side down (for example when handling in-lamb ewes that cannot be turned up, and you have to do it like you would do goats/horses by lifting the foot).

But I have one every other day with scald atm - wet ground and slightly long grass - bad combination. Could also just bee that your girls went onto new (to them) ground - it seems to hit the bought-in ewes more than the homebred ones.

I didn't know you could buy Engemycin in spray form, we only have the injection.  Do you have to get it through a vet?

My vet now stocks it in preference to Terramycin, but yes you can only get it through vet/presrciption.