Saturday, May 25, 2019

Footrot Webinar Set for June 4

The next in a series of educational webinars sponsored by the American Sheep Industry Association's Let's Grow Program will discuss the causes, treatment and prevention of footrot in sheep. 

The cause of this condition in sheep and goats is the same so treatments should be effective in both species.

Purdue University Extension Small Ruminant Specialist Mike Neary, Ph.D., will lead the webinar, which will be hosted by Jay Parsons, Ph.D., from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Predators and footrot have probably caused more sheep producers to leave the business through the years than any other causes. Footrot is costly to deal with in terms of labor costs, health product costs and reduced performance by animals in the flock. It can also be a humane and animal welfare issue in flocks with a high prevalence of footrot.

Footrot is highly contagious and can be difficult to eradicate, yet is entirely preventable. Footrot is caused by the synergistic action of two anaerobic bacteria: Fusobacterium necrophorum and Bacteroides nodosus. The condition is aggravated when environmental conditions such as mud, moisture and warmth are present. This discussion will include how sheep acquire footrot, how to prevent it, and how to control and eradicate it.

Click Here to register for the webinar.