Dairy sheep welfare and PLF tools in Ireland

This report details the outcomes of two national workshops in Ireland under the TechCare project, focusing on sheep welfare priorities and precision livestock farming (PLF) tools. The first workshop identified key welfare concerns: mortality rate, lameness, and nutrition issues in semi-extensive systems; and nutrition, poor maternal bonding, and mortality in extensive systems. The second workshop evaluated PLF tools—such as EID readers, accelerometers, weigh crates, environmental sensors, and weather stations—highlighting handheld EID readers, weigh crates, and environmental sensors as having the highest potential for improving welfare. Feedback from stakeholders emphasized the value of these tools, particularly in extensive systems where remote monitoring is beneficial. The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme (grant agreement No 862050).