RESPONSIBLE WOOL STANDARD
4. ENVIRONMENT MODULE
4. Environment
Sheep should be kept in an environment that provides the conditions and facilities needed for health, comfort and normal behavior including
movement, rest and socialization. This is usually best achieved in conditions that closely resemble the natural environment, with appropriate
shade, shelter and reasonable prevention of predation. The general principal is that sheep should be managed to minimise the impact of threats to
their lifetime welfare, including extremes of weather, natural disasters, disease, injury and predation. (IWTO)
Nr.
REQUIREMENT
GUIDANCE
COMMENT
IWTO: Sheep should be purpose bred and effectively managed so as to enable a high level of physical adaptation to the production
environment and to minimise undue stress
1.1
Breeding stock shall be selected for
the type of system in which they are
raised.
Selection criteria for retaining and purchasing shall include:
a. foot and leg health;
b. conformation, culling on poor confirmation;
c. mothering ability, milk production;
d. temperament;
e. lambing ease
1.2 Operations shall not intentionally use
genetically modified or cloned sheep,
their progeny, or semen.
IWTO: Sheep should be inspected at intervals appropriate to risks to their welfare
2.1 Inspection of sheep shall be as frequent Inspection shall particularly be carried out at times of risk such as:
as necessary to minimize risks to
- Fly strike danger
welfare.
- Adverse weather conditions
- Pre and post lambing
- Predation
- Introduction of new sheep
- When sheep have access to potentially hazardous environment
2.2 When sheep are housed, stock keepers 1. Welfare problems seen during an inspection shall be dealt with
shall inspect their livestock and
appropriately and without delay
equipment upon which such stock
2. Observations and actions taken shall be recorded
depend daily.
IWTO: Consideration is given to the provision of shelter in the absence of natural protection.
3.1 All sheep shall have access to effective 1. Shelter can be natural or artificial as long as it is available at all times
shade, shelter and/or windbreaks if
and provides effective protection against prevailing conditions.
necessary to protect them from adverse
2. Access to shelter shall reduce the risk to health and welfare caused by
weather conditions.
exposure to cold.
3.2 The lambing period shall be planned for 1. Shelter shall be provided for young lambs and freshly shorn sheep to
sheep giving birth to be given in an
minimize welfare risk
environment affording the newborn
2.Shelter shall be adequate to match local climatic conditions
protection from climatic conditions
likely to compromise their welfare and
survival.
3.3 Provisions shall be made to protect and If health problems develop as a result of exposure to heat, priority shall
to minimize the effects of heat stress. be given to remedial action to minimize the consequence of such
exposure.
IWTO: When sheep are confined for extended periods, they should have effective ventilation be housed in social groups and have non slip non
abrasive and free draining floor surfaced that avoid the accumulation of faeces and urine likely to compromise their welfare.
Housed sheep shall have pens that
provide sufficient freedom of
4.1 movement and floor space to lie in a
normal resting posture.
1. Housing space required shall take into account the age, size and class
of sheep and environment.
2. The lying area shall be of sufficient size to accommodate all sheep
together lying in normal resting posture.
3. Exception from the above shall apply in circumstances, such as
examinations, tests, vet treatments, while being fed, marketed, washed,
weighed, vaccinated or dipped, while accommodation is being cleaned,
waiting for transportation.
4.2 Housed sheep shall have access to a
bedded area sufficient to avoid
discomfort.
1. Efforts shall be made to ensure that the thermal environment does not
significantly affect production or cause distress.
2. Buildings shall be effectively ventilated and constructed to provide
drainage.
Sufficient lighting shall be available for Animal shall be able to move freely around the pen/enclosure, seek
animals to be able to see their
shelter, food and water.
surroundings clearly and their food and
water sources.
4.3
IWTO: Facilities should be free from protrusions and obstacles that may cause injury. Measures should be put in place to prevent sheep being
harmed or killed by predators.
5.1 Handling systems shall be designed,
Infrastructure shall be free of sharp protrusions, faults and flaws that
constructed and maintained so as to
could cause injury
minimize stress and the likelihood of
injury to the sheep during handling.
5.2 Producers shall be aware of predation
risks in their area and develop and
implement a strategy for minimizing the
risk of predation.
5.3 All fencing shall be adequately
Electric fences shall be designed, installed, used, and maintained so that
inspected and maintained.
contact with them does not cause more than momentary discomfort to
the sheep.