Intensive sheep feedlot operations present welfare challenges distinct from cattle feedlots, with respiratory disease, footrot, and social stress being primary concerns.
Sheep feedlot welfare shares features with cattle feedlots but has species-specific differences. Sheep are highly social and show stress responses to unfamiliar social groups and overcrowding. Dietary transition from pasture to grain can cause acidosis and digestive upsets. Footrot, caused by the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus, spreads rapidly in wet, crowded conditions and causes chronic pain affecting mobility and feeding. Respiratory disease in dusty, poorly ventilated feedlots can progress rapidly to pneumonia. Well-managed sheep feedlots with adequate space, veterinary oversight, and sound dietary management can achieve acceptable welfare, but standards vary enormously.