Sheep are increasingly raised in intensive indoor systems that restrict their natural grazing, roaming, and social behaviors.
Sheep in intensive indoor systems are denied the fundamental behaviors that define their species: extended pasture grazing, hill climbing, exploration of varied terrain, and natural flocking patterns across large areas. Slatted floors cause hoof problems. Crowding increases disease transmission. Boredom leads to abnormal behaviors. The welfare gap between sheep on traditional pasture systems and those in intensive confinement is substantial and well-documented in welfare science literature.