What is

it is a Long-acting footbath for sheep

forms a viscous solution when mixed and clings to the foot, leaving a coating after the sheep leave the footbath

It contains a PATENTED FORMULATION of:

• copper sulphate
• zinc sulphate
• organic acid
• a fixative

CONVENTIONAL FOOTBATHS ARE TIME-CONSUMING
Kling-on Blue® Sheep is mixed very easily in minutes and will coat the foot when the sheep are walked through once. Footbathing with zinc sulphate has generally meant that sheep had to be kept in the solution for at least 30 minutes but this is no longer the case. Once Kling-on Blue® Sheep has dried on the hoof it will remain there for the next 2-3 days.

Lameness in Sheep... an update

Many lamenesses are due to injuries. In addition to systemic diseases and injuries, lameness can be caused by a group of infections specific to the feet. The three most common types of lameness which affect sheep currently in the UK are scald, footrot and contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD).

They can all occur within the same flock, at the same time and that is because one condition can predispose the foot to infection by another.

Scald is typically seen initially as a reddening of the skin above the coronary band and interdigitally which will progress to becoming white and necrotic if it develops further. It is caused by the bacteria Fusobacterium Necophorum which is commonly found on pastures. The prevalence of Scald generally increases seasonally with wetter conditions.

Scald generally appears first and is thought to weaken the coronary band allowing for what is typically recognised as footrot - Dichelobactor Nodosus, to penetrate into the hoof where it will under-run the hoof walls and colonise the foot internally. This type of footrot can commonly be recognised when either one hoof claw or both will slowly become misshapen and over-grown and is characterised by the sheep limping or grazing from its' knees.

Over recent years a more virulent cause of lameness has arisen called CODD and the complete causal factors involved have not all yet been identified, however, work has been done to isolate a Spirochete genus Treponeme, which has also been isolated from Digital Dermatitis in cattle. CODD can spread very quickly between sheep and will cause the hoof walls to peel away from the foot, which can lead to them being cast completely, if it is left unchecked. It is thought that the presence of footrot can help to predispose sheep to CODD.

Retention of Zinc Improved Five-fold

Zinc is important for the production and maintenance of healthy hoof horn. Footbaths containing zinc increase the zinc concentration in hoof horn. But zinc penetrates hoof horn only slowly, at a rate of less than 0.5 mm per hour. So good penetration depends on retention of zinc on the hoof after footbathing.

Kling-on Blue® Sheep has been shown to increase the concentration of zinc on the hoof more than five-fold, compared with ordinary zinc sulphate solution.

Suggested Protocols

SCALD
Walk the sheep through the footbath once.

FOOTROT
Depending on the severity of the issue, sheep may need to be walked through between 1-3 times.

CODD
Sheep should be walked through no less than three times a minimum of a week apart.

INDIVIDUAL USE
For individual use mix a small amount of in a container and dip the hooves in individually, ensuring a minimum depth of 7cm to cover the coronary band. For the best outcome let the footbath dry onto the hoof then cover it with .

Using

PREPARATION

• Fill a clean standard sheep footbath approximately half full with 60ltrs of water.
• Pour the Kling-on Blue® Sheep powder evenly along the length of the footbath.
• Take a yard brush and run it along the bottom of the footbath 8 times to start mixing the solution.
• Top up the footbath with an additional 60ltrs of water and then run the brush along the bottom of the footbath a further 8 times to thoroughly mix the solution.
• Once mixed the solution should be a clear bright blue colour. Leave the solution to stand a further 10 minutes to thicken and then it is ready for sheep to be walked through.

APPLICATION

• For best results, first walk sheep through a footbath containing water to clean their feet.
• Then walk them through the footbath containing Kling-on Blue® Sheep.
• Position the footbath with walls or races flush to the side so that the sheep have to walk through the footbath and each hoof will receive a good coverage of solution.
• After the sheep have walked through the footbath, leave them on hard standing to allow the solution time to dry onto their hooves (typically 20 minutes in dry conditions).

IMPORTANT
Ensure a minimum depth of 7cm for all sheep that walk through.

FREQUENCY
Kling-on Blue® Sheep can be used either weekly, fortnightly or whenever handling allows.

PACK SIZE
One 7 kg bucket of Kling-on Blue® Sheep will mix into 120ltrs of footbath solution, which is sufficient for 250 sheep to pass through once.

For further information, please contact Forum Animal Health on
+44 (0)1737 781416 or
animal.health@forumgroup.co.uk

Kling-on Blue® Sheep is a registered trademark of Forum Products Ltd.

References

G Sayers, P. X. Marques, N. J. Evans, L. O'Grady, M. L. Doherty, S.D. Carter and J.E. Nally. Identification of Spirochetes Associated with Contagious Ovine Digital Dermatitis. J Clin Microbiol. 2009 April: 47(4): 1199-1201

The Merck Veterinary Manual

Malecki, J .C ., and McCausland, I .P. (1982) Research in Veterinary Science, 33, 192‐197

W. Thompson, 2002. Data on file.