MUDDY YARDS MEAN SORE FEET 



Have Dry Yards and Pastures — Foot Rot Dangerous 



Sheep that are compelled to stay in muddy yards or in low, 

 swampy pastures are almost sure to have sore feet. Foot troubles 

 are given different names such as "foot scald," "hoof ail," "foul 

 foot," and "foot rot," but all mean the same. 



It is the belief of some farmers that there are two kinds of 

 sore feet — the first called "foot scald," being the "scaldy" con- 

 dition found bclween the toes when the sheep is first affected; 

 and second, genuine "contagious foot rot" when the disease gets 

 deep seated under the horn of the hoof. 



There seems to be some ground for the behef that the two 

 stages are different diseases since the first has been known to get 

 well with no treatment except to place the sheep on perfectly dry 

 footing. Such instances are so rare that the man with lame 

 sheep cannot afford to take the chance of thus curing them. 



Sore Feet Contagious 



It serves the practiced sheep man to treat foot diseases as con- 

 tagious and needful of prompt attention. 



The first symptoms are lameness and on examination the foot 

 is found to be feverish and the skin in the cleft of the hoof red and 

 swollen. Soon matter or pus forms in the cleft and in a short 

 time, if left unchecked the disease gets under the skin and spreads 

 under the entire horn or wall. Blow flies lay eggs in the dis- 

 eased hoof during the summer months. The maggots spread 

 from the foot to the wool, finally kilhng the sheep if left unchecked. 



The thing for the farmer to do as soon as he discovers lame 

 sheep is to get busy and stop the trouble before it reaches the 

 advanced chronic stage. If the outbreak occurs in winter or 

 s])ring the first thing is to provide dry quarters if possible. If it 

 happens in summer put the sheep on the driest pasture obtain- 

 able until cured. 



Doctoring Sore Feet 



If there are but few sheep on the farm they can be caught and 

 each foot treated se[)arately. Treatment consists of cleaning 

 all mud and filth from between the toes and applying something 

 that will cure. In practical experience nothing has proven better 

 than pulverized blue stone or blue vitriol (sulphate of copper), 

 mixed with vinegar or water to a batter and applied with a 



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