Ticks transmit multiple pathogens to sheep, causing welfare harm from the tick infestation itself and the diseases they carry. Integrated tick management protects both welfare and productivity.
Tick infestations cause welfare harm at multiple levels: the mechanical irritation of feeding causes behavioral disruption and skin damage; the pathogens transmitted cause disease ranging from mild fever to fatal encephalitis; and the immune suppression from tick-borne fever opens the door to secondary infections. Louping ill causes a severe, painful encephalitic death in susceptible sheep. Welfare-positive tick control combines vaccination in high-risk areas, targeted acaricide use, habitat management to reduce tick-favorable conditions, and good nutritional status that supports immune resilience.