Lameness is the most significant welfare problem in sheep farming, affecting 3-10% of flocks at any time and causing chronic pain that is frequently undertreated.
Sheep lameness causes chronic pain affecting millions of animals simultaneously — one of the most significant farm animal welfare problems by scale anywhere in the world. The prey-species nature of sheep means they mask lameness until severely affected, leading to delayed detection and treatment in busy production systems. Farmers checking large flocks may miss early lameness in individual sheep until limping becomes severe. Foot rot causes progressive tissue destruction with associated pain that is welfare-significant for weeks to months without treatment. The economic case for lameness management aligns with the welfare case — lame ewes produce less milk, lose body condition, and have poorer reproductive outcomes. Effective lameness management requires systematic mobility scoring, prompt treatment protocols, and preventive footbathing programs rather than reactive treatment of advanced cases.