Lameness is the most common welfare problem in sheep. Understanding its causes and evidence-based treatments helps farmers and advocates reduce unnecessary suffering in sheep populations.
Sheep lameness is a pervasive welfare problem in sheep farming globally. Lame sheep demonstrate behavioral indicators of significant pain — reduced movement, reluctance to weight-bear, and altered social behavior. Unlike dairy cows where lameness has a direct production cost that motivates treatment, sheep lameness can be economically overlooked because individual sheep are lower-value. This creates a welfare gap where suffering persists because the economic case for treatment is perceived as weak. The evidence-based Five Point Plan for footrot control demonstrates that systematic, proactive management reduces flock lameness prevalence dramatically, improves production, and is economically beneficial when implementation costs are considered. Welfare standards for sheep should include maximum lameness prevalence thresholds.