# Lameness and Hoof Disorders in Sheep and Goats from Small Ruminant Farms in Selangor, Malaysia

## TL;DR

This study investigates hoof disorders and lameness in sheep and goats in Malaysia, finding higher prevalence in sheep and identifying risk factors like management practices and breed.

## Contribution

The study is the first to explore hoof disorders in small ruminants in Selangor, Malaysia, revealing non-infectious causes and significant risk factors.

## Key findings

- Lameness prevalence was 42.8% in sheep and 23.0% in goats, with significant variation across farms.
- Non-infectious hoof disorders like overgrown wall horn and white line disease were most common.
- Risk factors included pregnancy, semi-intensive management, and certain breeds in sheep and goats.

## Abstract

Hoof disorders are major causes of lameness and among the most significant welfare and economic concerns in small ruminants. In this study, we present the first attempt to explore hoof disorders affecting sheep and goat populations in Selangor, Malaysia. We found that lameness and hoof disorders were more common in sheep relative to goats, with factors such as type of management, breeds and pregnancy status playing a significant role. Surprisingly, only non-infectious types of hoof disorders were detected in the affected animals. Our results highlight the need to develop effective lameness-preventive measures in the studied farms.

Hoof disorders in small ruminants pose significant challenges to animal welfare and farm productivity. This study presents the first attempt to determine the prevalence of lameness and hoof disorders and their associated risk factors in goat and sheep farms in Selangor, Malaysia. Locomotion scores were collected from 226 animals (126 sheep and 100 goats) across 10 farms. A hoof examination was conducted, and hoof lesions were identified through detailed photographic evaluation. On-farm assessments and interviews were conducted to gather information on management practices from the farms. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and logistic regression models. The prevalence of lameness was 42.8% (95% CI 34.2 to 51.9) in sheep and 23.0% (95% CI 16.3–38.4) in goats. Significant variation (p > 0.05) in lameness prevalence was observed across farms, ranging from 26.7% to 61.5% in sheep and 7.7% to 30.8% in goat farms. The majority of lameness and hoof lesions were observed in the hindlimbs of both species. The prevalence of hoof disorders was 91.3% (95% CI 84.6–95.4) in sheep and 43.0% in goats (95% CI 21.4–58.0). The predominant hoof disorders were overgrown wall horn, white line disease, sole bruise, and wall fissures. No hoof affections of infectious origin were observed in the sampled animals. Risk factors for lameness and hoof lesions in sheep included pregnancy, semi-intensive management, and breeds other than Damara. Higher odds of lameness were observed in exotic goat breeds and those with overgrown wall horns. In conclusion, this study revealed a high prevalence of lameness and hoof disorders in goat and sheep farms, highlighting the need to address these important welfare and economic issues. While the identified risk factors could be considered for the management of hoof disorders in small ruminant farms, a larger sample size that is representative of the sheep and goat population is recommended for more generalizable results.