Control or eradicate footrot
Following a footrot diagnosis in your flock, your local PIRSA Animal Health Officer (AHO) will offer to meet and discuss a suitable treatment or eradication program.
This page is for informational purposes only. Consultation is essential to develop a management plan tailored to your farm and situation. There are different options, costs, trade and biosecurity measures, timing, and skilled labour requirements to consider for effective results.
Control programs
Footrot can be controlled by destocking infected sheep, footbathing, and vaccination. These methods can reduce the severity of infection and limit the number of sheep contracting the disease.
Footbathing
Footbathing in zinc sulphate solution makes the disease more manageable and is necessary to:
- minimise the spread of footrot
- heal low grade lesions
- prepare sheep for an eradication program.
Take these steps:
- Mix a solution that is 10% zinc sulphate and water. The correct ratio is 1 kg of zinc sulphate to 9 litres of water. You can include a wetting agent such as sodium laurel sulphate at 1–2% to improve the effectiveness of the footbathing solution.
- Use a footbath that:
- has high sides to prevent sheep from walking along the edge and avoiding the solution
- is large enough to contain several sheep at once, depending on mob size.
- Stand animals in the footbath solution for at least 10 minutes and up to an hour. Make sure the solution is deep enough to cover the whole hoof and fetlock area.
- Stand sheep on grating or concrete immediately after bathing to allow the solution to dry on the hoof.
- Return sheep to a paddock that has not been grazed by sheep or cattle for at least 7 days.
Complete footbathing 6 weeks prior to summer eradication inspections so lesions are easier to identify.
Vaccination
Vaccination alone will not eradicate footrot, but it can help lessen the disease in known infected flocks.
Coopers Footvax is the only commercially available vaccine registered to aid the control of footrot in sheep and lambs. It is a killed multi-serotype (10 strain) vaccine.
Footvax does not offer an extended period of protection against infection. Further biosecurity measures are needed to prevent incursions of footrot in unaffected flocks.
The use and distribution of Footvax no longer requires Chief Inspector of Stock (CIS) approval in South Australia. It is important to seek professional advice either from a PIRSA Animal Health Officer or private veterinarian before using the vaccine so your investment is worthwhile.
Strategic culling
Removing sheep from the flock there are badly infected with footrot or unresponsive to treatment will overtime increase genetic resistance to footrot in your flock.
Antibiotics
Due to microbial resistance, this treatment is not recommended unless:
- there are concerns for animal welfare
- you wish to retain high-valued stock that are infected.
Get expert advice about how to treat sheep with antibiotics as correct timing is important.
Eradication programs
Eradication programs need to be carefully planned with good treatment and control measures in place, prior and during the footrot spread season (for example, during August to November in some areas) before eradication inspections.
The control measures are to reduce the prevalence of infected sheep on property.
Eradication inspections take place over summer, when spread of disease is at its lowest, and must be finished before the break of season.
To eradicate footrot, all infected sheep are removed, and the bacteria killed. Remaining sheep must then stay free of footrot until the spread period in spring, before clearance inspections on the property.
Eradication programs can be expensive, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the cost and production losses.
Your plan will involve these options:
- Inspect and treat – infected animals are retained and treated to maintain stock numbers until no footrot is identified in the flock.
- Inspect and cull – infected animals are culled, lowering the number of inspections required.
- Voluntary destocking – all sheep, or all infected or suspect sheep, are removed from the property. You can begin restocking with a reliable source of uninfected sheep after 14 days.
Unless destocking, multiple flock inspections of all sheep will be required. Local footrot contractors should be employed to assist during your treatment program.
Retaining infected sheep for treatment increases the chances of not being successful in eradicating the disease. If sheep have healed from footrot after treatment, segregate these mobs until after the next spread period.
Footrot inspections
Inspections are best done when pastures have dried off between December and April, depending on when the autumn break rains occur. Subsequent inspections of infected mobs take place 4 to 6 weeks apart after treatment.
Completing successful footrot inspections requires:
- a yard with an effective lead up race with a sheep handler that tips sheep upside down
- an experienced footrot contractor or someone skilled at identifying footrot
- hoof trimmers and grinders to assist in finding any footrot lesions and returning overgrown or misshapen hooves to normal, allowing for effective footbathing
- removing all high risk sheep from the flock: infected sheep, fibromas, abscess, and deep shelly toe
- after inspection all sheep going through a footbath with zinc sulphate (no footbathing 4 to 6 weeks before an inspection).
Coopers Footvax vaccine is not usually used after inspections in summer. It is best used prior to the footrot spread season in virulent footrot flocks. Please seek professional advice of use and timing, from a PIRSA Animal Health Officer or private livestock veterinarian.
More information
Clare
Adrian – Cook Pastoral
Phone: 0402 295 148
Email: cookpastoral@gmail.com
Kangaroo Island
Dr Charlie Mintz – Agvet Services (Kingscote)
Phone: (08) 8553 2485
Email: info@kangarooislandvet.com
Ted Speed
Phone: 0428 776 544
Email: ted24@adam.com.au
Lynette Frick
Phone: 0476 910 634
Email: lynettefrick@gmail.com
Keyneton
Treloar Farms Rural Contracting
Phone: 0427 812 420
Email: jktreloar@bigpond.com
Naracoorte
Josh Drusko – Drusko Working Kelpies
Phone: 0422 813 714
Email: josh.drusko@hotmail.com
Andrew Metcalfe – Metcalfe Rural Services
Phone: 0400 816 436
Email: andrewmetcalfe.rams@gmail.com
South East
George and Belinda Mulraney
Phone: 0429 159 018
Email: molbray109@gmail.com
Strathalbyn
Lynton Woolfitt – LR & ST Woolfitt Rural Contracting
Phone: 0417 878 964
Email: lrwoolie@hotmail.com
Willalooka
Kim Parker – Tatiara Livestock Contracting
Phone: 0457 557 086
Email: kim@kevhill.com.au
Russell Kamp – Tatiara Livestock Contracting
Phone: 0418 927 984
Email: russ@kevhill.com.au