Few things are more rewarding than watching a small flock graze contentedly across a paddock you have fenced yourself. But sheep are masters at hiding problems. As prey animals, they have evolved to mask weakness until they simply cannot any longer, and by the time a ewe is lying apart from the flock with her head down, you may already be dealing with a serious problem. The good news is that most common ailments are easy to spot once you know what you are looking for, and early treatment usually means a quick recovery, less suffering and a much smaller vet bill.

Know What Normal Looks Like

Before you can spot something wrong, you need a clear picture of what "right" looks like in your own flock. Spend ten minutes a day simply watching. A healthy sheep is alert, with ears up and eyes bright. She grazes eagerly, cuds contentedly, and moves easily when you walk among the flock. Her fleece should be clean and full, and her backside should be dry and free of cling-ons. Breathing at rest should be steady and quiet.

Get into the habit of doing a quick headcount at every feed, and walk through the flock rather than past it. You will soon learn individual personalities. The greedy one who always barges to the trough, the quieter ewe who hangs back. The moment one of them breaks character, that is your first and best warning sign.

Lameness and Foot Problems

Footrot and scald are the two most frequent causes of lameness in British flocks, particularly in wet autumn and winter weather. Scald is an infection of the skin between the claws, causing redness and a moist, angry-looking area. Footrot is deeper, affecting the hoof itself, and produces a distinctive foul smell.

Catch lame sheep the same day you notice them. Leaving a limping ewe for a fortnight while you "wait and see" lets infection spread through the whole flock, and mud and dung make it far worse.

• Turn the sheep onto its rump and inspect all four feet properly.
• Look for heat, swelling, discharge or a dark, under-run sole.
• Trim only loose, overgrown horn. Over-trimming draws blood and makes things worse.
• Treat scald promptly with an appropriate foot spray, and use a footbath for the flock if several are affected.
• Keep gateways, troughs and high-traffic areas as dry as you can with bark chippings or hardcore.

A general rule worth remembering: a sheep that is lame for more than two or three days without improvement needs proper attention, not another week of hoping.

Fleece, Skin and Parasites

Run your hands into the fleece whenever you handle a sheep. You are feeling for lumps, scabs, bare patches, or the tell-tale gritty texture of lice and keds. Sheep itch and rub when parasites bother them, so fence posts worn smooth and ragged patches along the back are clues worth following up.

Flystrike is the one to dread. Blowflies lay eggs in dirty or damp fleece, usually around the tail or between the back legs, and the maggots can cause devastating damage within a day. Check the breech area weekly in warm weather. If you find maggots, clip the wool away, remove them and treat immediately, and ring your vet if the area is extensive.

Signs that a sheep needs closer inspection include:

• Rubbing against fences, feeders or gateposts
• Loss of wool patches, especially along the flanks and back
• Anaemia, shown by pale gums and inside eyelids, which suggests a heavy worm or fluke burden
• Dull, dry or brittle fleece that pulls away too easily

Weighing a few ewes regularly, or condition-scoring them by hand along the spine and ribs, tells you more about internal parasite burdens than almost anything else. A ewe losing condition on decent grazing needs a faecal sample and a word with your vet about targeted treatment rather than a blanket drench.

The Sudden Sick Sheep

Some problems arrive in a rush. Bloat, pregnancy toxaemia in late-carrying ewes, and acute mastitis all need action within hours. A bloated sheep has a distended left flank, is restless, and may kick at her belly. Pregnancy toxaemia shows as a dull, off-feed ewe in the last weeks of pregnancy who may stagger or grind her teeth. Mastitis produces a hot, hard, painful udder and often a lame, miserable ewe.

For any of these, isolate the animal and call your vet. Do not wait for morning. Keep a basic kit ready: a thermometer, lubricant, a halter, clean buckets, and a notebook to record temperatures and treatments.

Isolate Early, Record Everything

As soon as you suspect a problem, move the sheep to a clean, well-bedded pen within sight of the flock. Isolation stops the spread of anything infectious and lets you monitor eating, drinking and droppings closely without the stress of the flock pushing her about.

Keep a simple record for every animal: date, symptoms, temperature, treatment given, and outcome. Patterns emerge quickly. If three ewes in the same field go lame in a fortnight, you have a drainage or footbathing problem, not bad luck.

Finally, build a working relationship with a local vet who understands small flocks. A quick phone call often saves a visit, and most vets would far rather talk you through an early catch than arrive to a crisis. Your flock cannot tell you when something is wrong, so the watching, the handling and the checking falls to you. Do it little and often, and you will keep a healthy, thriving flock with far less heartache.