Pasture Quality and Sheep Welfare

Sheep welfare in extensive systems is directly linked to pasture quality and availability, with overstocked or poorly managed pastures causing nutritional stress, parasite burden, and hoof disease.

Key Facts

Sheep on overstocked pastures have higher worm burdens because larvae survive in sufficient density to cause heavy infection
Mud and wet conditions from overstocking cause footrot, a painful hoof infection affecting mobility
Nutritional deficiency during pregnancy causes metabolic diseases in ewes and poor lamb growth
Targeted selective treatment (TST) for worms based on fecal egg counts reduces anthelmintic resistance
Rotational grazing systems reduce parasite burden and improve pasture quality simultaneously

Welfare Considerations

Pasture-based sheep welfare depends fundamentally on stocking density and management quality. Overstocked pastures create the conditions for worm burden accumulation, footrot, and nutritional deficiency that each cause significant welfare harm. The interconnection between land management and animal welfare in extensive sheep systems means that good husbandry practice is both an environmental and animal welfare commitment. Farmers managing pasture rotations, stocking density, and targeted treatments achieve better welfare and often better long-term productivity.

What You Can Do

Support sheep welfare standards that include pasture management requirements
Advocate for stocking density limits in extensive sheep welfare regulations
Choose lamb and wool from farms with documented pasture management programs
Raise awareness about the pasture-welfare connection in extensive sheep farming
Donate to agricultural extension programs improving farmer knowledge of welfare-positive pasture management