How lameness affects sheep welfare and evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment.
Lameness is one of the most prevalent welfare problems in sheep farming and one that receives insufficient attention relative to its scale. A sheep that cannot move freely cannot graze effectively, maintain social bonds, or escape potential predators — core components of a life worth living. The welfare science is clear that lameness causes significant pain, as evidenced by behavioral changes, altered gait scoring, and response to analgesia. Effective prevention requires herd-level management including biosecurity, vaccination, regular foot examination, and prompt treatment of early lesions. Farms participating in structured lameness reduction programs consistently achieve dramatic improvements, demonstrating that high lameness rates reflect preventable management failure rather than inevitable farming reality.