Farm Animals

Sheep Hill Farming and Extensive Welfare

Extensive hill farming of sheep provides welfare advantages over intensive systems but faces its own challenges of disease, nutrition, and harsh weather.

Key Facts

Hill sheep farming covers large areas of upland UK including the Lake District and Brecon Beacons
Extensive systems allow natural behaviour expression including ranging and grazing
Nutritional stress is common in winter on upland farms with limited supplementary feeding
Lamb survival rates in extensive systems are lower than intensive indoor systems
Agri-environment payments support hill farmers while delivering wildlife habitat benefits

Welfare Considerations

Hill sheep farming represents a complex welfare trade-off between natural behaviour opportunities and vulnerability to environmental stress. Supplementary feeding, disease monitoring, and stockperson skills are key to maintaining welfare in extensive systems.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes that sustain hill farming with high welfare standards
Choose lamb and wool from UK extensive systems where possible
Engage with the debate about the future of hill farming under climate change
Advocate for welfare monitoring requirements in upland farm support payments
Support training for hill farmers in welfare assessment and disease management