Event-Based Care Tasks

Daily checks, arrivals, weaning, coat change and lameness — each triggered by an event, not a month.

The daily list is short and genuinely recurring: forage, water, and every animal on its feet. Arrivals get the most specific trigger in this reference: AHDB gives 28 days as its quarantine period for incoming sheep, presented as guidance rather than a universal legal requirement.

Weaning is set by conditions, not by a date. AHDB's feeding guide says weaning depends on forage quantity and quality, time to mating and lamb growth, with twelve weeks given as context for grass-fed lowland flocks. Coat change is assessed per animal — the breed documents describe shedding as a trait, so you watch the individual rather than marking a month.

Lameness is the task with the firmest rule attached. AHDB identifies footrot as bacterial, caused by Dichelobacter nodosus and spread in warm moist conditions, and says to seek veterinary attention promptly. Do not trim the foot to treat footrot and do not trim routinely: AHDB's treatment page says routine trimming can damage the hoof, delay healing and spread infection. The single exception named is a badly overgrown foot without infection, corrected under expert guidance. No treatments are listed here — call the vet.

• Daily: forage, water, animals standing and moving.
• Arrival: 28-day quarantine (AHDB guidance).
• Weaning: forage, mating timing and lamb growth decide; 12 weeks is lowland grass context.
• Coat: assess shedding per animal.
• Lameness: vet promptly; no foot trimming for footrot, no routine trimming.

Further reading

• Katahdin and Dorper: What the Standards Say
• Fencing and Shelter Planning