Sheep Hill Farming and Welfare Challenges

Hill farming with sheep is a traditional land use in mountainous regions, but extreme weather, difficult terrain, and limited oversight create welfare challenges that are not always visible.

Key Facts

Over 15 million sheep are farmed in the uplands and hills of the UK alone
Lamb mortality rates in hill flocks can reach 15-20% in harsh winters
Fly strike, a condition where flies lay eggs in wool causing severe tissue damage, affects millions of sheep annually
Hill sheep may go weeks without being individually checked due to terrain and flock size constraints
Agri-environment schemes increasingly support hill farmers to maintain welfare while protecting biodiversity

Welfare Considerations

Hill sheep live in conditions that are closer to extensive natural grazing than intensive systems, but this does not mean welfare is unproblematic. Extreme weather events — blizzards, floods, prolonged rain — cause hypothermia, starvation, and injury in sheep that cannot be moved quickly to shelter. Fly strike causes extreme suffering and can kill within 24 hours if untreated. Difficult terrain limits how often shepherds can check each animal individually. Welfare improvements in hill farming require investment in shepherding time, shelter provision, fly strike prevention programmes, and practical technology including GPS ear tags that alert farmers to unusual animal behaviour.

What You Can Do

Support hill farming subsidy systems that include animal welfare outcome requirements
Buy lamb and wool from hill farms with documented welfare monitoring programmes
Advocate for access to fly strike prevention treatments and government support for hill shepherds
Donate to rural veterinary outreach schemes that support hill farm animal health
Engage with agri-environment policy discussions to ensure hill farming welfare is part of the conversation