Why do sheep need umbrellas?

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.