The timing of sheep shearing has significant welfare implications, with early shearing before cold weather passes causing cold stress and later shearing causing heat stress.
Shearing timing decisions require balancing cold stress risk from early removal of fleece against heat stress and fly strike risk from delayed shearing. The optimal timing varies by breed, region, and weather forecast. Providing appropriate shelter for recently shorn sheep, monitoring weather, and understanding breed-specific cold tolerance reduces cold stress welfare harm while enabling shearing before fly strike season peaks.