Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Welfare and Handling Facilities

Well-designed handling facilities reduce sheep stress, improve worker safety, and make routine management more effective and humane.

Key Facts

Poor handling facility design causes stress, injury, and injury to handlers
Curved race designs exploit sheep's tendency to return to the flock
Non-slip flooring and appropriate lighting reduce stress and falls
Low-stress handling techniques improve sheep welfare and cooperation
Training handlers in low-stress stockmanship improves outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Handling facility design is a tractable welfare intervention - modest investment in better yards and races can substantially reduce stress and injury across millions of handling events annually.

What You Can Do

Review handling facility design against best practice guidelines
Train staff in low-stress sheep handling techniques
Install non-slip flooring and curved races where possible
Support training programmes for sheep handlers