Ectoparasites including ticks, lice, keds, and blowflies cause significant welfare harm to sheep, with integrated pest management approaches providing effective and humane control.
Ectoparasites cause sustained suffering through persistent itching and irritation that prevents normal rest and behavior. Sheep with active mite infestations show frantic rubbing against fences and other objects, wool pulling, and visible distress. Blowfly strike is a welfare emergency - fly larvae consuming living tissue creates extreme pain and distress, with severely affected sheep sometimes discovered in an advanced state requiring immediate treatment or euthanasia. Effective ectoparasite management is a fundamental welfare responsibility for sheep farmers, requiring regular monitoring, strategic treatment, and prompt response to evidence of infestation.