The health of sheep feet is a significant issue in the Australian sheep industry, especially Merinos in high rainfall zones and in wet years. Susceptibility to footrot has been shown to be heritable and the New Zealand industry has successfully developed a breeding value for footrot that can be used to reliably reduce the susceptibility of sheep to the disease. A recent project funded by Animal Health Australia has demonstrated that similar genetic variation exists in Australia.
More information can be found on the flyer on the right.