Abstract :
Sheep welfare requires that we understand where the indicators are now with our knowledge
of sheep’s physical and behavioural requirements and, then, look at some of the
emotional aspects of behaviour, which are being investigated to allow our developing
understanding of welfare to alter the statutory guides that we use to limit the way in which
sheep can be kept. Public perception of sheep and of their hardiness varies, but, often, data
available or easily accessible deals with specific breeds and specific situations, which is,
then, extrapolated to all of the individuals of the species. This may lead to poor judgement
in certain situations, as the wide variety of breeds and their different production systems
mean that reliable indicators for welfare status, which cover all situations and systems, are
often absent.
