Sheep rarely show obvious pain signs due to prey animal instincts, making welfare assessment and pain management challenging across all production systems.
Pain recognition in sheep requires overcoming their natural tendency to mask weakness. A sheep showing obvious lameness is already experiencing significant pain — subtle early signs require trained observation and validated assessment tools. The sheep grimace scale provides a reliable, accessible tool for assessing pain states in individual animals. Coupling better assessment with clear treatment protocols for common painful conditions significantly improves flock welfare outcomes.