Aim for less than 5% of lame sheep

Sheep Shearing Courses made a welcome return to the Top of Coom, over the long bank holiday weekend. Hosted and organised by The Creedon family Tim and Eileen, owners of the highest pub in Ireland, the course covered all aspects of technique, handling, animal welfare, taught by master shearer, George Graham and local master Shearer, PJ Lynch. Tim Creedon, who is also a sheep farmer, gathered over 600 sheep to be shorn and the wool bagged. Pictured are Tim, left; Donal O'Keeffe; and Daniel Creedon. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan. 

Animal health

Apart from being an animal welfare issue, lame sheep do not thrive to their full potential (lower growth rates, fertility and survival) and this loss in production combined with the cost of treating lame sheep (labour, footbath solution and antibiotics) represents a huge cost to sheep farmers.