Lameness is the most significant welfare problem in sheep farming globally, affecting millions of animals at any time. Most causes are preventable with good management.
Sheep lameness causes genuine, prolonged pain that profoundly affects quality of life. Lame sheep cannot move freely, graze effectively, compete for resources, or express normal social behaviour. Pain from footrot and CODD has been validated using multiple methods including pain scoring, gait analysis, and analgesic responsiveness tests. The tragedy is that most sheep lameness is preventable through good management and prompt treatment. Treatment delay — the most common welfare failure — extends suffering unnecessarily. Welfare-centred sheep farming requires regular inspection, prompt treatment as a routine management priority, and culling of chronically affected animals.