Sheep are stoic prey animals that mask pain effectively, making recognition and management of pain conditions including lameness and post-surgical discomfort a significant welfare challenge.
Sheep welfare science has developed robust tools for pain assessment but adoption in commercial practice lags behind development. The sheep PFAS allows farmers and veterinarians to quantify pain using facial expressions - ear position, orbital tightening, cheek tension, and lip curl - in a way that does not require vocalisation. Routine use of NSAIDs for painful procedures including foot trimming, castration, and tail docking is cost-effective and significantly reduces welfare harm. Training farmers to use validated pain recognition tools and to reach for pain relief as a default rather than an afterthought represents the primary welfare improvement opportunity.