Farm Animals

Welfare of Sheep in Intensive Farming

Sheep are among the most numerous farmed animals globally; their welfare in intensive systems is affected by lambing practices, mulesing, and transport conditions.

Key Facts

Over 1 billion sheep are farmed worldwide for meat and wool
Mulesing removes skin around the tail area without anesthesia in many Australian operations
Neonatal lamb mortality from exposure and mismothering is a major welfare issue
Sheep have individual personalities and form strong long-term social bonds
Footrot and flystrike are painful conditions associated with intensive sheep farming

Welfare Considerations

Sheep welfare varies enormously between extensive and intensive systems. Key welfare priorities include pain relief for husbandry procedures, good lambing management, and disease control. Consumer demand for welfare-certified wool and lamb is creating market incentives for improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose wool certified by the Responsible Wool Standard
Avoid products from farms using mulesing without pain relief
Support free-range or extensive sheep farming practices
Donate to organizations researching pain-free alternatives to mulesing