RSPCA welfare standards for sheep
We have developed detailed RSPCA welfare standards for sheep, which contain hundreds of requirements to ensure that higher standards of animal welfare are met at all stages of the their lives. For example, there are requirements covering all areas that might affect sheep welfare including food and water provision, flock management, environment, health, transport and humane slaughter.

Tail docking and castration
We met with the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), while they were drawing up their recent report on the 'Implications of Castration and Tail Docking for the Welfare of Lambs'. We are carefully considering the recommendations in the report, along with other scientific and practical evidence and expert advice, to ensure that requirements in the RSPCA welfare standards for sheep minimise suffering as far as possible.

Encouraging and helping farmers to stamp out lameness
We have funded research into foot rot control methods, and commissioned an educational video aimed at sheep owners, veterinary practices and agriculture colleges. The video outlines the various conditions causing lameness in sheep, how to diagnose them, treat them, prevent them and even eradicate them completely. The VHS video is available by contacting us (there may be a fee to cover postage and packing).

Reducing livestock worrying by dogs
We have worked with the National Sheep Association and National Farmers' Union to distribute signs and educational posters throughout England and Wales asking dog owners to keep their dogs on leads and under control near livestock.

Welfare of Australian sheep
In Australia, an injurious husbandry procedure known as ‘Mulesing’ is often carried out for similar reasons as for tail-docking in the UK; to try to reduce the risk of the significant welfare problem known as ‘fly strike'. During mulesing, the skin around the backend of the sheep is cut away to try to produce a smooth, wool-free area that is less attractive to flies. RSPCA staff have been looking into Australian research on methods of reducing the risk of flystrike in ways that avoid the need for mulesing to be carried out, as well as alternatives that are potentially less painful for the sheep.

We are in contact with RSPCA Australia (an entirely separate organisation from the UK charity) with a view to assisting them in any way we can to reduce sheep suffering and encourage effective, welfare-friendly alternatives to mulesing to be adopted by the industry. Interestingly, there is increasing interest in this issue from European clothes retailers who source Australian wool. They are putting pressure on their Australian sheep industry suppliers to move away from the practice of mulesing.

Welfare of sheep in extensive systems
A member of our scientific team gave a presentation at an expert workshop on the welfare of extensively farmed sheep and we contributed to the resulting report.

Please consider how you can help to make a difference to the lives of sheep too.