Sheep lameness campaign launches

Fancy being in with a chance of winning one of 10 free tickets to this year’s NSA Sheep Event 2012?

If so, then why not get involved with a short eight question survey on lameness in sheep.

Farmers Weekly in association with the National Sheep Association is kick starting a campaign called Stamp out Lameness to try and meet targets set by the Farm Animal Welfare Council last year to reduce sheep  lameness to 5% or less by March 2016 and to 2% or less by March 2021.

Sheep lameness is a significant welfare, economic and public image issue in the UK. Data suggests at least three million sheep are lame at any one time in the UK, with possibilities that 6-9 million sheep become lame over the course of a year, with footrot present in more than 97% of flocks.

But, lameness doesn’t have to be a problem in flocks and over the coming weeks the Stamp out Lameness campaign will provide the key five steps to achieving a goal of 2% lameness or less by 2021.

To find out more and to fill in the survey visit our Stamp out Lameness page.