Lameness is the most significant welfare problem in sheep farming, causing chronic pain and economic loss. Evidence-based prevention, early detection, and treatment protocols dramatically improve sheep welfare outcomes.
Sheep lameness welfare is complicated by the scale of affected animals and the practical challenges of individual monitoring in large grazing flocks. A lamb who is too lame to keep up with the flock may be separated from the group, reducing its ability to find food and predator protection — pain and vulnerability combine in a welfare cascade that is particularly severe in extensive systems. Early detection is the key welfare intervention: identifying and treating lame sheep before lameness progresses prevents the most severe welfare outcomes. This requires stockpeople who regularly observe flock gait, understand locomotion scoring, and have access to treatment supplies. The welfare-economic case for early intervention is strong — lame sheep lose body condition, reduce fertility, and reduce lamb growth rates in ways that far exceed the cost of prevention and early treatment.