Livestock Welfare in Mountainous and Hill Farming Systems

Extensive hill and mountain farming systems present distinctive welfare challenges including extreme weather exposure, limited veterinary access, and the management of animals across large, difficult terrain.

Key Facts

An estimated 60% of Welsh and Scottish farmland is classified as Less Favoured Area, supporting predominantly extensive sheep and cattle systems
Sheep on open hill land may graze areas where individual monitoring is practically impossible, meaning injured or sick animals can go undetected for extended periods
Winter supplementary feeding on upland farms is critical welfare management, as natural forage becomes inadequate in deep snow or severe frost
Veterinary access to remote hill farms can be limited by distance and weather, making stockperson competence in emergency care critical
Neonatal mortality in hill sheep is significantly higher than in lowland systems due to weather exposure, nutritional challenges, and limited supervision
The social, ecological, and cultural value of hill farming creates a complex context in which welfare reform must engage with traditional practice
Electronic identification for sheep, required across the UK since 2010, theoretically enables better individual tracking but implementation on open hill is challenging

Welfare Considerations

Hill and mountain farming welfare is characterised by the tension between extensive natural systems that allow expression of natural behaviours across large landscapes, and the practical impossibility of intensive monitoring and rapid intervention when welfare problems arise. A hill sheep living on open moorland has behavioural freedoms unavailable to housed lowland animals; a hill sheep injured in a remote gully may not receive attention for days. The welfare framework for extensive upland systems needs to acknowledge both the genuine welfare benefits of extensive natural living and the specific welfare risks from limited supervision, extreme weather, and difficult terrain. This requires investment in stockperson training for remote welfare assessment, practical approaches to monitoring large flocks across challenging terrain, and honest engagement with neonatal mortality as a welfare priority.

What You Can Do

Support training programmes for upland stockpeople in remote welfare assessment, neonatal care, and emergency treatment skills
Advocate for agricultural support payments that reward welfare outcomes in extensive systems rather than solely land management practices
Engage with hill farming communities on welfare standards that are practical for extensive systems rather than imposing lowland-centric requirements
Support veterinary practice networks that maintain capacity to serve remote rural areas where livestock welfare needs cannot be met without accessible professional support