Sheep undergo numerous routine procedures — castration, tail docking, ear tagging, foot trimming — that cause pain. Integrating effective analgesia into sheep husbandry is one of the most impactful welfare improvements available to farmers.
Lambs experiencing rubber ring castration show characteristic pain behaviours: abnormal postures, restlessness, reduced feeding, and isolation from the group. These behaviours persist for several hours and indicate significant acute suffering. The historical assumption that young animals feel less pain is not supported by neurobiological evidence — lambs have functional pain systems from birth. Adult sheep with untreated foot rot experience chronic, debilitating pain that affects mobility, body condition, and quality of life for weeks to months if not treated. The welfare gains from integrating meloxicam into routine husbandry are substantial and achievable at modest cost. The barrier is primarily awareness and habit rather than economics or practicality.