The Daily Once-Over: Your First Line of Defence

As a smallholder, you know your flock better than anyone. A few minutes spent quietly watching each morning is worth more than any textbook. Sheep are prey animals and will hide illness until they can hide it no longer, so subtle changes matter. Look for the ewe who lags behind, isolates herself, or fails to come to the trough. Check that every animal rises easily, moves soundly, and has bright eyes and a clean rear. Know what is normal for your flock, and you will spot what is not.

These three conditions — footrot, flystrike, and mastitis — are among the most common and most costly problems on a smallholding. Recognising them early can mean the difference between a quick recovery and a long, expensive struggle. Here is what to look for and when to pick up the phone.

Footrot: Spotting the Signs Early

Footrot is a bacterial infection that causes severe lameness. It is not the same as scald, which is a milder infection between the toes, though scald can progress to footrot if left untreated. The bacteria thrive in wet, muddy conditions and can spread quickly through a flock.

• Early signs: a slight limp, favouring one foot, or standing on the knees to relieve pressure.
• Established infection: a swollen, hot foot with a foul smell, discharge between the toes, and separation of the hoof wall from the underlying tissue.
• Risk factors: poached, muddy gateways, long wet grass, poor drainage, and bringing in infected animals without quarantine.

If you suspect footrot, isolate the affected sheep straight away. Clean the foot gently and inspect it — you may need help to hold the sheep safely. Your vet can prescribe antibiotics; footbaths containing zinc sulphate can help treat and prevent spread, but they are not a substitute for proper diagnosis. Avoid aggressive trimming, which can cause more damage and delay healing. Keeping bedding dry and rotating pastures to avoid poaching will reduce future cases.

Flystrike: A Race Against Time

Flystrike happens when blowflies lay eggs on dirty, damp fleece, usually around the tail, pizzle, or shoulders. The eggs hatch into maggots that feed on the sheep’s skin. In warm, humid weather, this can become life-threatening within days. You must check your flock daily during high-risk periods.

• Behavioural signs: restlessness, stamping feet, nibbling or biting at the rear, isolating from the flock.
• Physical signs: matted or stained wool, visible maggots, a foul smell, and dark, damp patches on the fleece.
• Advanced signs: lying down, refusing to eat, and a depressed, hollow appearance.

Prevention is far easier than treatment. Keep rear ends clean by dagging and crutching before fly season. Use a pour-on insecticide as advised by your vet, and check sheep at least once a day in warm weather. If you find strike, clip the wool away from the affected area, remove all maggots, and treat with a recommended product. Severe cases need urgent veterinary attention — the sheep may need antibiotics, fluids, and pain relief. Do not delay.

Mastitis: The Quiet Drain on Ewes

Mastitis is inflammation of the udder, most common in the weeks after lambing. It can be acute and obvious, or chronic and easy to miss. The first clue is often the lambs: they may be hungry, thin, or constantly bleating. A ewe with mastitis may not let them suckle.

• Udder changes: one or both halves may be hot, hard, swollen, and painful to touch.
• Milk changes: strip a little milk onto a gloved hand — it may be watery, lumpy, bloody, or foul-smelling.
• Ewe signs: off her food, dull, feverish, lying down more than usual, or refusing to let lambs near.
• Lamb signs: losing condition, crying, or trying to suckle other ewes.

Handle the ewe gently but firmly. Wear gloves and check the milk from each quarter separately. Call your vet for antibiotics and anti-inflammatories — early treatment saves udders and saves lambs. You may need to bottle-feed or foster the lambs while the ewe recovers. Cull ewes that suffer repeated bouts, as they are likely to pass the problem on. Good hygiene at lambing, clean bedding, and avoiding overcrowding all help reduce risk.

When to Call the Vet Without Delay

Some situations are emergencies. Phone your vet immediately if you see any of the following:

• Flystrike with extensive skin damage or a sheep that is dull and collapsed.
• A ewe that is down and cannot rise, especially after lambing.
• Footrot with severe swelling, a fever, or a sheep that will not bear weight at all.
• Mastitis where the udder turns blue or black — this is gangrene and is life-threatening.
• Any sheep with rapid breathing, grinding teeth, or that seems unresponsive.

If you are unsure, always ring for advice. A quick conversation costs far less than losing an animal. Remember that some antibiotics require a veterinary prescription, so you cannot simply buy them over the counter.

Keeping Records and Reducing Risk

A simple notebook or a smartphone app can make a real difference. Record every case of lameness, udder trouble, or flystrike, along with the treatment given. Patterns will emerge: a ewe with repeated mastitis should be culled; a field that triggers footrot every winter needs drainage or a rest. Rotate pastures, avoid poaching around feeders, and quarantine new arrivals for at least three weeks. Work with your vet on a flock health plan, including vaccination and faecal egg counts where appropriate.

Smallholding is as much about observation as it is about action. The more time you spend quietly watching your sheep, the better you will become at catching these ailments in their earliest stages. That is when treatment is easiest, cheapest, and kindest — for you and for your flock.