Farm Animals

Sheep Johne's Disease Welfare Management

Johne's disease causes progressive wasting and chronic suffering in sheep, requiring biosecurity and flock management to control spread.

Key Facts

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis causes Johne's disease in sheep
Clinical signs include weight loss and soft faeces in older animals
Infected animals suffer increasing malnutrition over months before death
No cure exists - management focuses on reducing transmission and culling
Test and cull programs combined with biosecurity reduce flock prevalence over years

Welfare Considerations

Johne's disease causes prolonged suffering through progressive malnutrition. Affected animals deteriorate slowly while often continuing to graze, making disease recognition challenging. Welfare management requires early identification and humane euthanasia of clinically affected animals rather than allowing deterioration.

What You Can Do

Participate in flock health programs including Johne's testing
Ensure clinically affected animals are humanely euthanised promptly
Implement biosecurity measures to prevent introduction to clean flocks