Animal health advisers from across the south and south-west of England are now primed to help local sheep producers stamp out flock foot problems, after completing a practical workshop on reducing lameness issues.

Held at Bicton College and organised by MSN Animal Health, the event trained delegates on how to help sheep farmers implement the industry-accepted five-point lameness reduction plan.

Phillipa Page, independent sheep vet from Flock Health Limited, said: "The five-point plan offers sheep producers a clear lameness management strategy and a practical protocol for reducing the incidence of this costly problem.

"However, farmers are quite often unsure how to get started, but by offering this training to the animal health trade we hope many more sheep producers will benefit from the helping hand they can provide.

“Implemented correctly, the five-point plan builds a flock’s resilience to disease through culling persistently lame animals, reduces the infection challenge on the farm and establishes immunity through vaccination.

"Many flocks around the country are seeing the benefits of implementing this plan and sheep lameness nationally would be dramatically reduced if more farmers adopted it."

Sheep producers interested in implementing the five-point plan on their own farm should contact their local vet or animal health adviser and ask for help from a qualified lameness reduction adviser.