SPCA New Zealand - Animal Welfare Certified
Cattle

Farmed animals

Over the past two decades we’ve raised the standard of care for farmed animals by encouraging farmers to make the necessary improvements to become certified.

Sheep and lambs

SPCA Certified sheep and lambs come from farms that give the animals access to shade, shelter and good pasture, in order to meet their needs and support the promotion of positive experiences.

What do sheep and lambs want?

  • To be looked after kindly and compassionately

  • To have opportunities to run and play

  • To form strong long term bonds with other sheep friends

  • To be able to rest (and ruminate) comfortably under shade and shelter

What SPCA Certified means for sheep and lambs

SPCA Certified requirement Why? What is required by law
Mineral supplementation programme in place. Ensure that sheep remain healthy and do not suffer from digestive/health problems. No specific mention.
Body Condition Score kept between 3 - 4. Ensure that sheep are healthy and in good condition at all times, so they are better able to cope with weather extremes. Take action if Body Condition Score falls below 1.
Troughs and drinkers kept clean. Ensure that they have access to good quality water at all times. Access to water not harmful to health.
Water tested every three years or if new source. Ensure that they have access to good quality water at all times. No specific mention.
Barbed wire fencing on boundary fences only. It must not be electrified. Electrified barbed wire fencing is extremely aversive to sheep, so this improves their welfare by reducing stress/pain. No specific mention.
Access to shade/shelter at all times. Ensures animals can manage their thermal requirements wherever they are on the farm. Access to shelter required.
Maximum 8 hour transport time. Minimises stress and fear during a very stressful process. No specific mention.
Animal health plan in place. Ensures that there is proper oversight of the animal's health status and that problems are addressed proactively, to reduce pain and suffering. No specific mention.
Rams are checked for health at least 8 weeks before mating. Ensures that rams are in good health and do not suffer during mating. No specific mention.
Breeding programmes must consider trait selection that improves animal welfare. Ensures good animal welfare outcomes, i.e. a better life for the animals from the start. No specific mention.
Breeds associated with birthing difficulties and horned breeds are not permitted. Avoids unneccesary and painful interventions, e.g. cesarian sections, from having to be performed on an ongoing basis. No specific mention. Horned breeds allowed.
No castration of lambs going for slaughter before sexual maturity. Pain relief for all other animals being castrated. Reduces pain and suffering, during an otherwise painful and aversive process. Castration <6 months - no pain relief. Castration >6 months - pain relief.
Tail docking only with SPCA permission and must use pain relief. Reduces pain and suffering, during an otherwise painful and aversive process. Pain relief for sheep over six months only.
Handling, moving, and restraining sheep done in a calm and gentle manner. Ensures that stress and fear in animals is minimised. Also promotes positive human/animal interactions, which is good for welfare. Handled to minimise pain, injury and distress.
When shearing in cold/wet weather, additional food, water and shelter must be provided for at least four weeks after shearing. Reduces suffering and the risk of cold stress. Access to food and water after shearing.
Winter shearing only with SPCA permission. Ensures that if winter shearing is done only where unavoidable and in manner to safeguard animal welfare. No specific mention.
No shearing in the last six weeks of pregnancy. Minimises stress and the risk of pregnancy issues close to birth. No specific mention.
Lameness managed below 5%. Reduces the risk of a major and very painful issue in sheep. No specific mention.
Daily inspections for sheep within four days of lambing. Ensures problems are identified early, which minimises pain and suffering. No specific mention.
Ewes pregnant with multiple lambs brought closer to the farmyards for observation. Ensures problems are identified early, which minimises pain and suffering. No specific mention.
No ear marking or notching allowed unless pain relief is used. Branding not permitted. Avoids unneccesary and painful interventions from being done. NB. Branding is not routinely done on sheep however, because they have wool. Hot branding allowed with pain relief.
No blunt force trauma allowed for killing sheep or lambs. Prevents a stressful, painful and highly variable method of euthanasia from being performed. No specific mention.
Sheep kept in stable social groups. Allows for the expression of normal behaviours, reduces stress and minimises the risk of aggression/fighting. No specific mention.
No weaning before 3 months. Ensures a more natural weaning process, which reduces stress on the lamb and its mother. No specific mention.
No rough handling such as dragging or lifting sheep by their wool. Avoid causing unnecessary pain and distress to sheep. Handled to minimise pain, injury and distress.
Enrichment in all pastures such as tree stumps, hedges, elevated areas. Allows for the expression of normal behaviours (e.g. play, exploration). No specific mention.

Together, we can raise the bar of welfare for farmed animals

Every year over 50,000,000 farmed animals in NZ benefit from a higher standard of care. Sounds like a lot, but that’s just 31% of the country’s farmed animals*. With your help, we can improve the welfare of many more farmed animals in NZ. *Stats NZ 2023/2024