Sheep Sidewalk Solves Mud Problems

Sheep Sidewalk Solves Mud Problems LIVESTOCK Sheep/Goats 19-6-27 I raise sheep in the Willamette Valley where mud-encrusted udders and footrot are constant problems. I solved the problems by building a slightly raised, 24-in. wide, 200-ft. long concrete sidewalk. It provides a path out of the mud on a hill between my barn and pasture. I `roughed up' the concrete to improve the traction up and down the hill, allowing the sheep to wear the mud off their hooves as they walk. The sidewalk runs alongside the barn and allows the sheep to enter it at two locations. To build the sidewalk I spaced heavy duty, 5-ft. long T-posts 4112 ft. apart, staggering them 18 in. When I poured the concrete I made sure the posts were plumb and that concrete flowed around them to make them secure. In a flat spot just outside the barn a `cut out' was fashioned for a footbath. The sidewalk's narrow 24-in. width keeps sheep from turning around. The ewes and even the lambs have quickly learned to walk single file on the sidewalk. This will be the first winter that the sheep will use the sidewalk, but already they're arriving at the barn much cleaner. Chuck Thompson, Sweet Home, Oregon

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