Extensive sheep grazing on rangelands and hill farms presents welfare challenges distinct from intensive systems, including predation risk, difficult terrain, and limited veterinary access.
Extensive sheep farming presents a genuine welfare monitoring challenge: sheep on large hill or rangeland properties cannot be individually inspected daily, yet many conditions deteriorate rapidly when untreated. The welfare of sheep on extensive systems depends heavily on stockmanship skill in identifying problems during gathering and inspection, and on preventive management that reduces disease incidence. The infrequency of close inspection means that conditions like flystrike, lameness, and eye disease may progress to advanced stages before treatment. Technology solutions including GPS tracking of movement patterns, drone surveillance, and remote ear tag monitoring are beginning to provide tools for more frequent welfare monitoring at scale on extensive systems.