Sheep transport causes acute physiological stress; short journey times, adequate ventilation, appropriate stocking density, and lairage management reduce welfare impacts.
Sheep transport welfare parallels cattle transport but with additional species-specific considerations. Sheep are prey animals with strong flight responses that make the handling and loading process particularly stressful. Their flocking behavior means that individually stressed animals amplify stress in the whole group. Ventilation is critical as sheep generate substantial body heat and respiratory disease is a common welfare complication of transport. Identifying and excluding high-risk individuals including lame animals, heavily pregnant ewes, and recently shorn sheep from long journeys prevents avoidable welfare harm.