Dairy sheep are farmed extensively in Southern Europe and increasingly globally for milk and cheese production. Their welfare needs are distinct from cattle and goats and often receive less research attention.
Dairy sheep face welfare challenges similar to other ruminants: lamb separation, reproductive stress, lameness from footrot, respiratory disease in intensive housing, and heat stress. Unlike cattle, sheep are prey animals with strong flight responses, making handling stress significant. Welfare research for sheep lags behind cattle, leaving fewer evidence-based interventions available. Certification schemes specific to sheep welfare are less developed than for cattle or pigs.