Livestock

Sheep Welfare at Shearing: Best Practice 2026

Shearing is an annual welfare event for wool sheep and best practice guidance focuses on reducing handling stress, injuries and thermal exposure during and after the procedure.

Key Facts

Around 15 million sheep are shorn annually in the UK, typically between April and June
Skilled shearing by a trained shearer causes minimal injury but inexperienced shearing causes cuts and stress
Newly shorn sheep lose thermoregulation ability rapidly in cold or wet weather
Shearing in late pregnancy or too soon after lambing can cause additional welfare stress

Welfare Considerations

Shearing causes acute handling stress and temporary loss of the insulative fleece. Cuts and lacerations from the shearing equipment cause pain and infection risk. Newly shorn sheep are susceptible to cold stress and rain scald. Welfare priorities include using skilled shearers, minimising shearing floor handling time, timing shearing appropriately relative to weather and pregnancy, and providing shelter access to newly shorn animals.

What You Can Do

Ensure shearing is carried out by a trained and competent shearer
Time shearing to avoid periods of cold wet weather wherever possible
Provide shelter for newly shorn sheep during the first week after shearing
Check recently shorn sheep for cuts and treat any wounds with appropriate antiseptic