Sheep Welfare in Extensive Systems: Pasture, Predators, and Health

Sheep in extensive pasture systems face welfare challenges from predation, parasites, weather exposure, and the difficulty of individual health monitoring across large flocks.

Key Facts

Sheep are highly social animals that show distress when separated from their flock
Gastrointestinal parasites are the leading cause of welfare harm and production loss in sheep globally
Flystrike - fly larvae infestation of wounds - causes severe suffering if not detected promptly
Predation by wolves, coyotes, and dogs is a major welfare concern in extensive sheep systems
Sheep pain behavior is subtle due to prey species masking instincts, making detection difficult
Neonatal lamb mortality averages 10-20% in many sheep systems, much of it preventable

Welfare Considerations

Extensive sheep farming provides animals with space and natural behavior opportunity but also creates welfare challenges that intensive monitoring would catch earlier. Individual health monitoring across hundreds of animals on large properties is inherently difficult. Parasites, flystrike, and foot conditions can cause prolonged suffering before detection. Neonatal lamb mortality - much from hypothermia and starvation in the first 24 hours - represents a major welfare opportunity. Technology including GPS collars, drone monitoring, and automated body condition scoring is improving detection capacity.

What You Can Do

Support sheep producers using technology-assisted health monitoring to detect welfare problems earlier
Choose lamb from certified welfare schemes with documented health monitoring standards
Advocate for lameness and parasite burden reporting requirements in sheep welfare audits
Donate to research on sheep welfare monitoring technologies and detection methods