Footbath vs Foot mat?

[Loftyrules]

Looking at options of a footbath vs a foot mat? Anyone got good or bad experiences of either? Small flock so nothing too silly, but needs to do the job

 

[Al R]

Only ever used footbath’s, 1 long static concrete one and 2 plastic JFC’s which do the job but you can’t put lamb’s through them. Bought 2 of these last week for lambs, absolutely brilliant so far!!!! Most people go for the slightly wider ones but being 45cm it fits in my rappa footbath race, IAE race and my static concrete race.

 

[neilo]

Just to give the opposite view, to confuse the OP....

We bought a couple of mats, the same as in the post above, when they first came out. They were the next thing to useless for treating scald in lambs and were soon moved to the back of the shed.
They did come in useful in 2001, when I cut them into small sections to fit in footdips to try to keep F&M at bay.

Save your money and just buy a plastic foot bath.

 

[Al R]

Just to give the opposite view, to confuse the OP....

We bought a couple of mats, the same as in the post above, when they first came out. They were the next thing to useless for treating scald in lambs and were soon moved to the back of the shed.
They did come in useful in 2001, when I cut them into small sections to fit in footdips to try to keep F&M at bay.

Save your money and just buy a plastic foot bath.

For young lambs I can’t see me being able to do 1000 a day through a footbath personally, with the mats they just walk over them - better than the ewes actually as they didn’t know what it was either. Once the lambs are 8-9 weeks old they can get the footbath if they need it.

 

[neilo]

For young lambs I can’t see me being able to do 1000 a day through a footbath personally, with the mats they just walk over them - better than the ewes actually as they didn’t know what it was either. Once the lambs are 8-9 weeks old they can get the footbath if they need it.

Yes, we found they walked over them too. They just weren’t effective at treating lambs with scald when they did so. I hope you have more success.

I always find getting lambs through a foot bath for the first time is easier the younger they are. Small lambs happily follow their mothers through, as they’ve perhaps not learnt to think for themselves yet. Second time is a doddle after that.

 

[Agrivator]

Yes, we found they walked over them too. They just weren’t effective at treating lambs with scald when they did so. I hope you have more success.

I always find getting lambs through a foot bath for the first time is easier the younger they are. Small lambs happily follow their mothers through, as they’ve perhaps not learnt to think for themselves yet. Second time is a doddle after that.

I often wonder why young lambs tend to have a more enquiring mind than their mothers. Sheep must be the only species, apart from Lancastrians, that grow more stupid as they mature.

And for foot problems, a stand-in footbath is the best investment. It can allow a long stand, or have the exist gate opened to allow sheep to walk through.

At one time, evil Blacksmiths used to send their new apprentices down to the builder's yard to fetch a ''long stand''.

 

[Six Dogs]

We use some 2” upholstery foam in a footbath,no splashing and much easier to get lambs through

 

[Tim W]

I treat individual lambs for scald and don't retain them for breeding
Everybody says this wont work on their farm because 80% of the lambs get scald
Chick/egg

For a small flock it's got to be an option?

 

[Northern territory]

I always struggle with lambs through first time at about 6-8 weeks old. Some people put straw in the bottom of the bath.

 

[neilo]

I always struggle with lambs through first time at about 6-8 weeks old. Some people put straw in the bottom of the bath.

^this. Straw, hay, dags, or anything else that will break up the shine on the flat surface that you would see if you got down to lamb level.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

I often wonder why young lambs tend to have a more enquiring mind than their mothers. Sheep must be the only species, apart from Lancastrians, that grow more stupid as they mature.

Surely its standard for the human race, that youngsters are more willing to take risks than the older generation. Expressed in a child climbing a tree whilst the parent is having kittens looking on from the kitchen window, or the young entrepreneur willing to take risks to push on the business when the older person is more likely to sit satisfied with where they are.
Even on D Day, they wanted the youngest soldiers up front as they had an "invincible" attitude whereas older ones would think it through to much.

Sorry, getting a bit deep now...

 

[Agrivator]

Surely its standard for the human race, that youngsters are more willing to take risks than the older generation. Expressed in a child climbing a tree whilst the parent is having kittens looking on from the kitchen window, or the young entrepreneur willing to take risks to push on the business when the older person is more likely to sit satisfied with where they are.
Even on D Day, they wanted the youngest soldiers up front as they had an "invincible" attitude whereas older ones would think it through to much.

Sorry, getting a bit deep now...

Very profound, but what about Lancastrians? They even hang their curtains with the pattern on the outside, just to impress the neighbours.
And temporary traffic lights used to have a sign saying ''stop while the red light shows'' But someone pointed out that in Lancashire, while means until.

 

[exmoor dave]

For young lambs I can’t see me being able to do 1000 a day through a footbath personally, with the mats they just walk over them - better than the ewes actually as they didn’t know what it was either. Once the lambs are 8-9 weeks old they can get the footbath if they need it.

Ran 400 ewes and 600 odd lambs (8-10wks old) through the bath (formalin) in less than a couple hours 2 days ago.

System I use is a 10x3 plastic cow foot bath set in the drenching race, bit of straw in the bath and away you go.
The beauty of it is that if one sheep or some lambs stall, the others have the room to get past them and through the bath, they also go through at a nice steady speed.

1000/day would be no problem.

 

[Loftyrules]

Thanks guys, bath and straw seems the way to go

 

[Castle Farm]

 

[Al R]

How many can you do an hour ?‍

 

[M-J-G]

I throw a few handfuls of straw in the bottom of the bath and rarely ever have sheep refuse to go through and it cuts down splashing too.

No need for anything more complicated.

 

[Agrivator]

That's excellent. But what do you do while you're waiting to to get it back on. Sit on the fence?

 

[Castle Farm]

Yep!.

 

[Moors Lad]

Ran 400 ewes and 600 odd lambs (8-10wks old) through the bath (formalin) in less than a couple hours 2 days ago.

System I use is a 10x3 plastic cow foot bath set in the drenching race, bit of straw in the bath and away you go.
The beauty of it is that if one sheep or some lambs stall, the others have the room to get past them and through the bath, they also go through at a nice steady speed.

1000/day would be no problem.

You saved me a lot of typing!! The footbath cost about £200 (I think!) and 4l of formalin in 80l of water and the jobs a doddle! Put straw in first time to help lambs. The air used to get VERY blue here in the bad old days when we used to (try to) put lambs through a normal narrow footbath!
Probably a small group would be OK with a 60l batch - as long as the feet get in deep enough.
CHEAP , QUICK and it works.