Farm Animal Welfare

Farm Sheep: Scrapie Resistance Breeding

Selecting sheep for genetic resistance to scrapie provides welfare benefits by reducing the incidence of this fatal neurological prion disease.

Key Facts

Scrapie is a prion disease of sheep causing progressive neurological deterioration and death
The ARR allele of the PrP gene confers strong resistance to classical scrapie
UK National Scrapie Plan promotes breeding rams carrying the ARR allele
Affected sheep show progressive itching, incoordination, weight loss, and death over months
Scrapie elimination through genetic selection is possible and has been achieved in some flocks

Welfare Considerations

Scrapie causes a prolonged and distressing neurological decline culminating in death. The progressive nature of the disease means affected sheep suffer for months with no possibility of recovery or effective treatment. Breeding for genetic resistance is the most welfare-positive approach, progressively eliminating the disease from individual flocks and potentially the national population.

What You Can Do

Select replacement rams carrying the ARR allele for scrapie resistance
Register ewes and rams on the National Scrapie Plan database
Report suspected scrapie to APHA as it is a notifiable disease
Work with your vet to develop a flock scrapie risk reduction plan
Monitor replacement ewe genotype profiles to track flock resistance improvement