Lameness is the most significant welfare problem in sheep farming, causing chronic pain in millions of animals annually. Systematic prevention and prompt treatment dramatically reduce suffering.
Sheep lameness represents a massive and largely preventable welfare problem. The combination of high prevalence, long duration, and the stoic pain expression typical of prey species means many lame sheep go weeks without treatment, suffering chronic foot pain that affects every aspect of their lives. The five-point lameness plan — correct diagnosis, swift treatment, avoiding culling before treatment, vaccination, and feet inspection — has been shown to dramatically reduce flock lameness when consistently applied. The economics are also favorable: lame sheep have reduced weight gain, reduced reproductive performance, and higher susceptibility to other conditions, all representing production losses. Welfare science and farm economics point in the same direction: systematic lameness prevention and prompt treatment are both the right thing and the financially sensible thing.