Castration of male lambs is routine in UK sheep farming but causes significant pain. Advances in anaesthesia and rubber ring timing have improved welfare, though practices remain inconsistent.
Lamb castration causes real and measurable pain regardless of method when performed without anaesthesia. Rubber rings cause ischaemic pain as blood supply to the scrotum is cut off - a slow process taking over an hour to complete. Cortisol and pain behaviour indicators confirm this is not trivial discomfort. Local anaesthetic block before ring application reduces acute pain significantly and is low-cost. The gap between available welfare tools and routine practice represents a significant preventable suffering burden on millions of animals annually. Farmer education and veterinary guidance are the most direct levers for change.