Lameness is the most significant welfare problem in sheep globally, with footrot and foot scald causing widespread chronic pain that is largely preventable through improved management practices.
Sheep lameness is one of the most preventable yet persistent welfare problems in livestock production. The combination of stoic behavior that masks pain until severe, a normalization of some lameness as inevitable, and inadequate veterinary access in extensive sheep systems creates conditions where chronic pain persists across large animal populations. Evidence-based five-point plans that combine prompt treatment within three days, eradication of footrot, reducing spread, vaccination, and culling of non-responders have been shown to dramatically reduce prevalence at farm level. Industry-wide adoption of these approaches is the single most impactful intervention available for sheep welfare globally.