Sheep needing further care
Why is it measured?
Any animal that is sick or injured must be provided with the necessary treatment and care regardless of whether it is a cull animal or not. This is a legislative requirement under the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2007. Sheep that are sick/injured and not receiving adequate care are suffering pain, discomfort and/or distress. This not only compromises their welfare but also reduces their likelihood/speed of recovery, increases the risk of disease spreading and reduces their productivity. ‘Treatments’ may not always constitute medication but will depend upon the cause of the illness/injury. Management changes such as separation from the flock, provision of soft bedding, easy access to feed and water etc. may be included.
How to assess and score using the AssureWel measure
5. Sheep needing further care Flock Measure
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Assess the whole flock. Tally and comment on the number of sick or injured sheep (including those suffering from skin irritation) that would benefit from further intervention. Further interventions could include further treatment, hospitalisation (i.e. removal from the main flock) or culling.
Do not include severely lame sheep within this measure they should be recorded separately under measure 1. b) Lameness: Severely lame sheep with any details of treatments included under comments
Do not include sick or injured animals already receiving suitable care.
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- Lameness
- Body Condition Score (Thin sheep)
- Dirtiness
- Fleece loss
- Sheep needing further care
- Castration, tail docking and ear notching
- Mortality