Lameness is one of the most prevalent and painful conditions in sheep. Systematic scoring and prompt treatment programmes significantly reduce the welfare burden across flocks.
Sheep lameness causes prolonged suffering that is often underappreciated because sheep are stoic prey animals that conceal pain. A single lame sheep in a flock of hundreds may be missed in daily checks without systematic lameness scoring. The Five Point Plan for sheep lameness provides an evidence-based framework linking diagnosis to appropriate treatment and significantly reduces time from lameness onset to intervention. Achieving lameness prevalence below 2% is an achievable welfare target for well-managed flocks.