Sheep farmed on upland hills and mountains face specific welfare challenges arising from remoteness, harsh weather and limited veterinary access that require adapted management approaches.
Hill farm sheep welfare presents challenges that differ fundamentally from lowland sheep farming. The combination of large unfenced ranges, infrequent animal checks due to logistical constraints, limited veterinary access and exposure to severe weather creates welfare risks that cannot be managed with the same intensity as lowland systems. An injured sheep on a remote hillside may not be discovered for days. Parasite management is complicated by the landscape and treatment efficacy issues. At the same time, hill sheep often experience excellent natural behaviour expression — social grazing, predator avoidance instincts, seasonal migration patterns — that intensive lowland systems constrain. The welfare assessment of hill sheep requires a different framework that recognises both the natural welfare benefits and the management challenges of extensive upland farming.