Lameness in sheep is among the most prevalent and painful welfare conditions in the global sheep industry, affecting millions of animals annually with inadequate pain management.
Sheep lameness sits at the intersection of welfare and economics in a way that should create aligned incentives but often does not. Lame sheep have reduced feed intake, lower weight gain, impaired reproduction, and eventually reduced productivity — making lameness costly to producers. Yet lameness prevalence remains high, and pain management use remains low, suggesting that the perceived costs of intervention outweigh the perceived benefits for many producers. The welfare reality is stark: sheep with untreated footrot experience chronic severe pain from tissue destruction that can persist for weeks without treatment. Recognition and treatment delays are driven partly by the stoic nature of sheep and partly by insufficient monitoring. Regular lameness scoring across the entire flock, not just treatment of visibly lame animals, is the standard recommended by welfare scientists.