Sheep are used in biomedical and agricultural research including cardiovascular studies, reproductive biology, and wool production research. Their welfare needs require species-specific attention in laboratory settings.
Laboratory sheep welfare is shaped by the profound importance of social contact to a species that evolved to live in flocks. Social isolation causes measurable physiological stress responses in sheep that persist throughout isolation periods. Research protocols that require individual housing should minimize isolation duration and provide at minimum visual and auditory contact with conspecifics. Handling stress is a major welfare concern in sheep research: prey species that experience repeated rough handling develop heightened fear responses that compromise both welfare and data quality. Training sheep to approach humans voluntarily and accept procedures with positive reinforcement dramatically improves welfare outcomes and experimental consistency. The investment in positive reinforcement training is justified by both welfare benefits and improved data quality.