Systematic welfare monitoring in sheep flocks enables early identification of health problems, lameness, and nutritional deficiency that cause significant suffering in one of the UK's largest livestock populations.
Sheep welfare monitoring is more challenging than cattle monitoring due to the large flock sizes, extensive management systems, and the stoic nature of sheep that mask illness effectively. Without systematic monitoring, welfare problems including lameness, parasitism, and nutritional deficiency accumulate undetected until they are severe. Simple but regular monitoring activities including lameness scoring during gathering, body condition scoring at key production stages, and veterinary health plan reviews create the information base needed for targeted welfare interventions. Farms with structured welfare monitoring consistently demonstrate lower disease prevalence and better welfare outcomes.