Animal welfare management is part of total farm management. Start by reviewing all factors that affect sheep wellbeing. The Checklist of animal welfare compliance tool provides a list of welfare procedures to review against on-farm practices, but some overarching principles to follow on-farm include:
- Meet nutrition targets for all sheep classes, as measured by condition score.
- Meet animal welfare standards. Basic animal welfare standards include freedom from disease. All diseases need prompt diagnosis and treatment. As a guide, aim for mortality rates of below 4% for adults and below 5% for lambs.
- Follow national and state codes of practice. Currently each state has codes of practice for on-farm husbandry procedures and transport including curfew times, pre-transport preparation, animals fit for transport, minimising stress, segregation and stocking densities and loading and truck facilities. Plan husbandry procedures to minimise handling to reduce livestock stress. Where possible, combine procedures so sheep are handled for short periods, less frequently.
- Where a surgical husbandry procedure is considered necessary, ensure a competent operator carries out the procedure on sheep at the earliest age possible, using clean equipment and in a manner that minimises pain. Using anaesthetics and analgesics is strongly recommended in all jurisdictions and required by law in some for specific procedures.
- Skilled handling of stock is important, either by on-farm labour or accredited contractors, to provide a level of technical competence to ensure appropriate welfare standards are met.
Managing sheep after shearing
Shearing is stressful for sheep so effective management is critical. Sheep are most at risk for the first two weeks after shearing, but losses can occur for up to four weeks after shearing in cold, wet and windy weather. Sheep less than two years old, and those in poor condition, are especially at risk.
Closely observe weather forecasts during and after shearing and muster off-shears sheep into sheltered paddocks in periods of severe weather. Sheds provide the best shelter. Dense bush is next, followed by well-designed plantations in sheltered paddocks.
The energy requirements of recently shorn sheep increase for up to six weeks after shearing, so provision of adequate feed is critical during this period. Sheep that have been heavily grain fed, such as young lambs or pregnant ewes, are at risk of metabolic problems, such as hypocalcaemia (when the body fails to mobilise enough calcium from the bones to maintain normal blood calcium levels). Do not deprive vulnerable sheep of feed any longer than necessary. Feed high-quality hay, supplement calcium or limestone or use a calcium drench to minimise metabolic problems when feeding grain.