Castration of male lambs prevents unwanted breeding and improves meat quality but causes acute pain, with best practice requiring pain relief that is inconsistently provided.
Castration causes significant acute pain regardless of method, with rubber ring castration causing prolonged discomfort over days as tissue dies. Early castration with rubber rings is legally permitted without anaesthetic but causes welfare harm. Providing NSAID analgesia alongside rubber ring application reduces pain burden. Avoiding unnecessary castration by using single-sex rearing or early slaughter of entire males is the highest-welfare approach where feasible.