MSD FlockCheck Data Reveals Sheep Abortion at Five-Year High as Lameness Programme Delivers Two-Thirds Reduction in Affected Flocks

New MSD Animal Health FlockCheck data paints a stark picture for UK sheep producers — abortion diagnoses have reached their highest level since 2020 with enzootic abortion and toxoplasmosis widespread across tested flocks, while a separate MSD-backed five-point lameness programme is delivering transformative results, cutting lameness by more than two-thirds in farms that adopt it fully.

Sheep abortion diagnoses have risen to their highest level since 2020, prompting veterinarians to urge farmers to act before the 2027 breeding season. Data from the Wales Veterinary Science Centre confirm enzootic abortion of ewes, caused by Chlamydia abortus, as the most frequently diagnosed condition, accounting for 72% of cases.

Interim results from MSD Animal Health’s 2026 FlockCheck scheme underline the scale of exposure across the national flock. Of 421 samples tested, 75% were positive for toxoplasmosis, while nearly 30% of 212 samples tested positive for enzootic abortion — figures that will concern both individual producers and the wider sheep sector as the 2027 breeding season approaches.

The findings arrive alongside encouraging news on a separate but equally persistent welfare challenge. MSD Animal Health is promoting a refreshed five-point lameness strategy following evidence from more than 21,000 sheep across 83 farm assessments, where full adoption of the programme cut lameness levels by more than two-thirds in affected flocks. The five measures — vaccinating, avoiding infection, treating cases quickly, quarantining new or affected animals, and culling chronic carriers — represent a systematic approach to a problem that has proved resistant to incremental intervention.

Together, the data reinforce a consistent message: structured, evidence-based programmes delivered at herd level achieve results that reactive or partial interventions do not, and preparation ahead of the breeding season remains the most cost-effective route to protecting flock productivity and welfare.