Comprehensive sheep welfare assessment using animal-based indicators allows farms to identify and address welfare problems systematically rather than reactively.
Sheep welfare assessment has developed significantly from its historically reactive basis: farmers responding only to obviously ill animals now have protocols allowing systematic monitoring of body condition trends, lameness prevalence, parasite burden indicators, and behaviour patterns that identify welfare deterioration before crisis. Benchmarked outcome data — showing a farm's welfare indicators relative to industry average — provides a motivational tool for improvement that clinical advice alone does not. Assessment is the foundation for improvement.