Sheep farmed extensively in upland and hill systems face welfare challenges that differ from intensive farming, including parasite burden, predation, and limited access to veterinary care.
Extensive sheep farming presents welfare challenges that are qualitatively different from intensive systems. The vast landscape means individual animals are harder to observe, welfare problems are identified later, and treatment is more difficult to administer. Parasite burden is the dominant welfare issue in most upland systems - internal parasites cause chronic weight loss, anaemia, and immune suppression, while external parasites cause skin damage and severe pain. Anthelmintic resistance, driven by overuse of antiparasitic drugs, now threatens to remove the primary tool for parasite control. Flystrike - where flies lay eggs in wool soiled by faeces, and maggots eat the living animal - causes intense suffering detectable only through regular checking. The welfare priority in extensive systems is increasing the frequency and quality of individual animal observation.