Respiratory disease is a significant welfare problem in housed sheep, particularly for lambs, with Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida being common bacterial causes.
Respiratory disease in sheep causes acute suffering - laboured breathing, fever, pain and in severe cases, death. The condition often arises from preventable management failures including poor air quality and overcrowding. Adequate ventilation without draughts, appropriate stocking density, and strategic vaccination dramatically reduce incidence in housed flocks.