Meet sheep welfare requirements on your farm

The Five Welfare Needs

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 requires you to meet your sheep's five welfare needs. These form the foundation of all sheep husbandry.

Stockmanship requirements

The single most important factor in sheep welfare is the quality of stockmanship. You must have the knowledge and skills to care for sheep properly.

Required competencies

You and anyone caring for your sheep must be competent in:

• Recognising signs of good health (alertness, free movement, active feeding, rumination)
• Recognising signs of ill health (listlessness, abnormal posture, lameness, scouring, absence of cudding)
• Vaccination and drenching
• Prevention and treatment of footrot
• Prevention and treatment of internal and external parasites (including scab and fly strike)
• Tail docking and castration (if you perform these procedures)
• Lambing assistance and care of newborn lambs

Training: Training should be from an experienced person on-farm or through a suitable training organisation. Where possible, pursue training that leads to formal recognition of competence.

Inspection frequency

You must inspect your sheep regularly - at least once daily when welfare depends on frequent human attention. During lambing, more frequent checks are essential. The frequency of inspections should increase in difficult conditions such as adverse weather or disease outbreaks.

Flock health planning

The statutory sheep welfare code expects you to prepare a written health and welfare programme for your flock. The code is not law itself, but courts can use failure to follow it as evidence of breaching welfare legislation.

Your written plan should cover:

• The yearly production cycle
• Vaccination policy and timing
• Control of external and internal parasites
• Foot care programme
• Pasture management for disease control

Develop your plan with:

• Veterinary advice
• Technical advice from specialists

Review and update: Your health plan should be reviewed and updated annually.

Record keeping: Keep records of basic flock outputs and health interventions. These demonstrate compliance and help you monitor flock performance.

Biosecurity for new introductions

Sheep introduced to your flock can spread disease. New sheep (including rams) should be:

• Segregated for at least 4 weeks on arrival
• Inspected and treated if necessary for diseases such as sheep scab or footrot
• If newly introduced ewes, segregated again for about 4 weeks before lambing
• Lambed separately, preferably after the main flock, to avoid introducing infectious abortion agents

Shelter and housing requirements

Sheep kept outdoors need access to shelter from adverse weather. If you house sheep, you must meet specific legal requirements.

Outdoor shelter

Sheep kept on pasture should have access to:

• Natural shelter (hedges, trees, walls, banks)
• Artificial shelter if natural shelter is inadequate
• Protection from wind, rain, and extreme temperatures

Housing requirements

If you house sheep, the following standards apply:

Legal minimum requirements:

• Materials used for construction must not be harmful and must be capable of thorough cleaning and disinfection
• No sharp edges or protrusions likely to cause injury
• Air circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative humidity and gas concentrations must not be harmful
• Sheep must have access to a lying area that is well-drained or maintained with dry bedding

Ventilation: Effective ventilation is essential as sheep are particularly susceptible to respiratory diseases. Buildings should permit free air circulation above sheep height while avoiding draughts at sheep level.

Condition at housing: Sheep should be both dry and free from footrot when first housed. Treat footrot-affected sheep immediately to prevent it becoming a flock problem.

Lambing management

A large proportion of ewe mortalities occur around lambing time. You need specific expertise to manage this period safely.

Pre-lambing preparation

• Scanning: Use scanning to identify barren, single, twin and triplet-bearing ewes for differential management
• Condition scoring: Assess body condition and separate thin ewes and those carrying multiples for special feeding
• Handling: Handle heavily pregnant ewes with care to avoid distress and injury that may precipitate premature lambing
• Treatment: If a heavily pregnant ewe needs treatment (e.g. for lameness), treat her promptly - do not delay until after lambing

During lambing

• Shepherds must be experienced and competent before having sole responsibility at lambing
• Inexperienced assistance can cause severe damage when helping ewes in difficulty
• Consider indoor lambing to provide closer supervision and reduce lamb losses
• Maintain clean, dry conditions in lambing areas
• Have a plan for orphan lambs, including colostrum supplies and feeding equipment

Colostrum and milk

Classical scrapie can spread through colostrum and milk. If using replacement colostrum or milk:

• Source from flocks monitored for at least 3 years and found free of classical scrapie
• Do not use pooled colostrum or milk for genetically susceptible animals in intensive systems
• Consider using cow colostrum or artificial milk replacers as alternatives

Tail docking

Tail docking is permitted but strictly controlled. You must follow the legal requirements precisely.

Castration

Castration is permitted but the method and timing are controlled by law.

Shearing

Wool grows continuously and sheep welfare is improved if they are shorn at least every 12 months.

Shearing requirements:

• Shearers should be experienced, competent and properly trained
• Inexperienced shearers must be supervised by competent staff
• Take care not to cut the sheep's skin - treat any wounds immediately
• Clean and disinfect equipment between flocks to prevent disease spread

Weather considerations:

• Use weather forecasts to avoid shearing before cold, wet weather
• Provide shelter to newly shorn sheep in cold conditions
• Winter shearing is only suitable if sheep are housed afterwards
• Winter-shorn sheep turned out in spring should have fleece regrown to 15-20mm and favourable weather

Transport of shorn sheep (1 November - 31 March):

• Must have staple growth of at least 7mm
• Must not have been shorn within 24 hours of journey start

Foot care and lameness

Lameness is one of the most common signs of ill health in sheep. It has serious welfare implications and affects productivity. A significant percentage of chronic lameness indicates poor overall welfare standards.

Your foot care programme

A foot care programme must be part of your written health and welfare plan. It should include:

• Regular inspection: Check feet frequently during routine handling
• Careful paring: Only when necessary and with proper technique (incorrect or excessive paring damages feet)
• Footbathing: With suitable solution maintained at correct dilution
• Treatment: Prompt treatment of infected feet
• Vaccination: Where footrot is a persistent problem
• Culling policy: Remove chronically lame sheep that do not respond to treatment

Expert advice: If footrot is a major cause of lameness or normal treatments fail, seek veterinary advice. Foot paring is a skilled procedure - if in doubt, get specialist training.

Pasture management

Total reliance on drugs to control footrot is not recommended. Pasture management is essential:

• Avoid wet, muddy conditions that promote footrot
• Rest pastures to reduce infection pressure
• Maintain well-drained fields and tracks

Transport restrictions

• Chronically lame sheep that do not respond to treatment should be slaughtered on-farm, not transported
• Sheep that cannot get up without assistance must not be transported
• Sheep bearing weight on only 3 legs must not be transported
• Slightly lame sheep should not be sent to market or on journeys likely to worsen the condition

Feeding requirements

You must provide sheep with access to food appropriate to their age, species and in sufficient quantity for good health.

Legal requirements

• Adequate supply of fresh drinking water each day
• Access to food each day
• Diet must be wholesome and appropriate to the species
• Feeding equipment must minimise contamination and competition between animals

Special feeding needs

Pregnant ewes:

• Ewes carrying multiple lambs have higher nutritional demands
• Separate twin/triplet-bearing and thin ewes for special feeding
• Condition scoring combined with scanning allows targeted management
• Avoid sudden changes in diet, especially in late pregnancy (risk of pregnancy toxaemia/twin lamb disease)

Lactating ewes:

• Peak milk production requires adequate nutrition
• Ewes rearing twins or triplets need more feed
• Poor nutrition affects lamb growth and ewe recovery

Rams:

• Must be in appropriate body condition before tupping
• Good pre-mating management affects ovulation rate and litter size

Housed sheep trough space

Competition for food causes stress and affects welfare. Ensure adequate trough space:

• 450-500mm per ewe for concentrates
• 10-12cm per ewe for hay/silage fed ad libitum

Transport requirements

Transporting sheep requires compliance with specific welfare regulations.

Fitness for transport

You must not transport sheep that are:

• In the last 10% of pregnancy (approximately 15 days before due date)
• Have given birth within the previous 7 days
• Newborn with navel not completely healed
• Ill, injured, infirm or fatigued (unless moving to vet or nearest slaughter)
• Unable to stand or bear weight on all four legs
• Chronically lame

Journey times

Transport authorisation

• Journeys over 65km and under 8 hours: Type 1 transporter authorisation required
• Journeys over 8 hours: Type 2 transporter authorisation required
• Animal Transport Certificate (or similar) required for business transport over 65km
• Drivers and attendants must hold certificate of competence

Space allowances during transport

Record keeping and inspections

You must keep records and make them available for inspection.

Records required

• Holding register: All sheep on the holding, movements on and off, births and deaths
• Annual inventory: Count of sheep on the holding on 1 December each year, recorded and returned by 31 December
• Movement records: Date, number of animals, origin/destination CPH
• Medicine records: Veterinary medicines administered
• Mortality records: Deaths and the number of animals found dead
• Health records: Supporting your health and welfare plan

Inspections

APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) and local authority officers have powers to enter your premises and inspect:

• Your holding register and movement records
• Ear tag compliance
• Animal welfare conditions
• Disease control compliance
• Medicine records

Records must be available for inspection for the retention periods specified above. Obstructing an inspector is a criminal offence.

Scrapie monitoring

Scrapie is a notifiable transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting sheep and goats. You must report any suspicion of scrapie to APHA immediately.

Signs of scrapie

• Changes in behaviour or temperament
• Altered gait (high-stepping, hopping, lack of coordination)
• Trembling
• Scratching and rubbing against objects (hence "scrapie")
• Weight loss despite normal appetite
• Usually appears in animals 2-5 years old

If scrapie is suspected

• Contact APHA immediately on 03000 200 301
• Do NOT move sheep or goats until APHA gives clearance
• If the suspect animal dies, report this immediately
• APHA will impose movement restrictions pending investigation

If classical scrapie is confirmed

• Your holding joins the Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme (CSFS)
• Movement restrictions apply for at least 2 years
• APHA may order genotyping of your flock
• Genetically susceptible animals may be culled
• Milk/milk products from affected animals cannot be used as feed for animals on other farms

Prevention through genetics

You can reduce scrapie risk by breeding for genetic resistance:

• Sheep with ARR/ARR genotype are highly resistant to classical scrapie
• Genotype testing identifies resistant and susceptible animals
• When buying replacements, request genotyping certificates
• The Scrapie Monitoring Scheme (SMS) provides flock certification

Penalties for non-compliance

Animal welfare offences carry serious penalties, substantially increased by the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021.

Next steps

To ensure you meet your sheep welfare obligations:

1. Read the welfare code: Download and read the Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock: Sheep
2. Write your health plan: Develop a written health and welfare programme with your vet
3. Check your records: Ensure your holding register and movement records are up to date
4. Assess your skills: Identify training needs for you and your staff
5. Review your facilities: Check housing, handling and feeding equipment meet requirements
6. Plan for lambing: Ensure competent staff and adequate facilities are available