Scald control: The manner in which sheep are footbathed will have a big influence on lameness control. Teagasc experience shows that the practice of running through a footbath as they exit a pen has very little effect in addressing an existing scald issue.

This is due to the fact that there is insufficient contact time with the animal’s feet and the solution.

Teagasc advise that footbathing is most effective when sheep remain in the footbath for 15 to 20 minutes when using a 10% zinc or copper sulphate-based solution followed by at least 30 to 60 minutes where sheep stand on a dry, hard surface to allow the footbathing solution to dry into the hoof. A batch footbath is most effective in this regard as it allows other tasks to be completed while a batch of sheep are standing in the footbath.

It is likely that antibiotics may be required for more serious causes of lameness, and in such cases sheep should be segregated to reduce the risk of the causative agent spreading and to allow for easier targeted treatment.

Where antibiotics are being used, it is vital that the exact cause of lameness is identified to ensure that the correct treatment is administered. Where sheep fail to respond to two rounds of antibiotics, then culling may be the appropriate action.

Lameness control is one of many valuable practical workshops which will be on offer at the free Sheep 2025 event in Mellows Campus Athenry on Saturday 21 June 2025. See this week’s focus for a full rundown of a packed programme of events.

Shearing delays: Weather over the last few weeks has played havoc with shearing progress. Some shearers report that in cases they still have well over 50% of their normal number of sheep to shear. The lower temperatures in recent weeks have kept blowfly strike largely at bay, but there was a higher incidence reported in the last couple of days.

The outlook for the next week is mixed with continued rainfall leaving it challenging to get sheep dry for shearing. The big complication for most flocks is insufficient space to house sheep once dry and showers persisting. Forecast temperatures remain relatively low, so this might provide some reprieve in keeping blowfly strike at bay.

There are few options available – some earlier mid-season lambing flocks have delayed the task at this stage until they wean, while others that look like shearing will not take place for a few weeks have dagged ewes in an attempt to keep problems at bay.

Some shearers advise that moving sheep to bare pasture in advance of shearing will help fleeces dry quicker with less forage present to hold moisture, but solutions are not straight foward.

Rush control: Now is the typical time of year that many farmers tackle rushes. The most effective treatment is where the growth stage of rushes is at a young stage, with such plants far more likely to absorb the herbicide as opposed to rushes which are at a mature stage or gone to seed.

In such cases the best option is often to top/mow and delay treatment until regrowth has emerged. Applying an adjuvant or sticking agent in the spray will help the herbicide to stick to the thin rush stalks.