Broomfield Corriedales: A strain of sheep selectively bred for resistance to footrot

Abstract

Broomfield Corriedales originate from a 15-year programme of selective breeding from sheep that evaded footrot when deliberately subjected to field challenge. To determine whether this policy may have resulted in improved resistance to footrot, trials were set up in which representative animals from the Broomfield blood-line were challenged with footrot by either experimental or natural infection, together with Corriedale sheep of similar age and sex but from flocks in which the disease is not known to occur. In another approach, the occurrence of footrot was compared in the offspring of Broomfield and of non-Broomfield sires mated with randomly selected ewes in a commercial Corriedale flock in which the condition was prevalent. Finally, the effects of natural challenge in Broomfield lambs were compared with those in a selection line of Corriedale lambs of which both parents had a history of chronic footrot disease. Footrot affected significantly fewer sheep of the Broomfield blood-line and to a markedly lesser degree than those chosen for comparison under identical challenge conditions. Where present, foot infections in Broomfield animals also tended to be less invasive and less persistent. Reduced footrot prevalence was also demonstrated in three birth cohorts of first-cross offspring of Broomfield sires relative to the offspring of other sires, though differences were not significant at all inspections. These findings, considered as a supplement to the historical development of the Broomfield flock, offer encouraging prospects for breeding programmes to enhance the resistance of sheep to footrot disease.

Genetics of adaptation in domestic farm animals: A review

“…A practical application of this approach has been described by Patterson and Patterson (1989) who successfully bred for enhanced footrot resistance in Merinos. Additional evidence of the feasibility of selecting sheep for footrot resistance using phenotypic observations is given by Skerman and Moorhouse (1987), who report an evaluation of lines of New Zealand Corriedale ewes selected for enhanced footrot resistance. Therefore, breeding for enhanced footrot resistance using phenotypic assessment alone is possible and feasible, provided that footrot is present in the flock (Bishop and Morris, 2007).…”

Ovine pedomics: the first study of the ovine foot 16S rRNA-based microbiome

“…The difference in the structure of the bacterial community by farm might be linked to factors such as different breeds, which might have differing susceptibility to disease; footrot has low heritability (Emery et al, 1984;Skerman and Moorhouse, 1987;Escayg et al, 1997) or location with for example, varying soil types or climate. In addition, management factors such as use of antibiotics, hoof horn trimming and culling diseased sheep (Howell-Jones et al, 2005;Green et al, 2007) might have affected the bacterial community.…”

Footrot and interdigital dermatitis in sheep: Farmer satisfaction with current management, their ideal management and sources used to adopt new strategies

“…The results are generally as might be anticipated with those farmers who are using prompt individual treatment (as reported by themselves and the evidence base from research) satisfied with the efficacy and cost effectiveness of this approach and reporting a lower prevalence of lameness. Farmers" ideal managements also included isolation and culling of lame sheep and selecting replacements from unaffected stock, all likely to contribute to a low prevalence of lameness when in combination with prompt treatment (Skerman and Moorhouse, 1987;Wassink et al, 2005;Green et al, 2007;Wassink et al, in press). In the UK, farmers are not able to transport lame sheep.…”