Animal welfare: Welfare of sheep
Legislation
The welfare of sheep is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 under which it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a Duty of Care to animals – this means that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal’s needs are met. This means that a person has to look after an animal’s welfare as well as ensure that it does not suffer.
These general requirements are supplemented by detailed requirements set out in the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007 No 2078). These Regulations replaced the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 on 1st October 2007. Schedule 1 of these requirements is applicable to all animals, including sheep, and contains specific requirements concerning the provision of, for example, water, shelter, dry lying areas and food.
Further information on the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 is available.
Welfare code
There is a Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Sheep, which contains advice for stock-keepers on best sheep husbandry practice. The existing Code continues to apply under the new Animal Welfare Act, but with the introduction of the Act and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, the references to the legislation throughout the code are now out of date. Whilst the vast majority of the 2000 Regulations are replicated by the 2007 Regulations, you should check the legislation as it currently stands.
There is a Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Sheep 
(210 KB) which contains advice for stock-keepers on best sheep husbandry practice.
Enforcement
Animal Health (formerly the State Veterinary Service) carries out welfare inspections on farms to check that the legislation and the welfare codes are being followed. In addition to spot checks and planned visits, Animal Health urgently follows up all complaints and allegations of poor welfare on specific farms.
Where welfare problems are found, Animal Health usually gives advice or warnings to farmers which, in most cases, results in satisfactory improvements being made. However, where necessary, Defra initiates prosecution action against farmers, sometimes in co-operation with local authorities and/or the RSPCA.
Advice for farmers
Defra funds ADAS, an agricultural consultancy, to run campaigns to inform farmers about good welfare practices. Details of current campaigns are available.
Publications
The following publications on sheep welfare are available in electronic format below.
- Sheep
lameness (163 KB)
- Improving lamb survival (284 KB)
- A planned approach to feeding
the ewe - A guide to feeding in late pregnancy (170 KB)
Page last modified: 15 August, 2008