Integrated Natural Resources Scheme: sheep health management plan guidance

This guidance provides useful information to aid the formulation of your INRS Sheep Management Plan which should clearly set out your sheep tick surveillance and control to monitor, manage, and reduce the impact of tick infestation in hill-grazed sheep populations.

Your plan should, recognise the interaction between animal health, human health, and the environment, and align with national tick surveillance activities undertaken in the UK. It should also operate in partnership with veterinary professionals, graziers, Sheep Project Officers, and public health surveillance systems, including the UKHSA Tick Surveillance Scheme.

Ticks spread diseases that affect livestock and humans, and UK surveillance programmes continue to track where they occur and the pathogens, they carry across the country.

Welsh legislation, and health and animal welfare duties:

• Environment (Wales) Act 2016: Duty to maintain and enhance biodiversity and promote ecosystem resilience
• Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023: Provisions for sustainable land management 
• Animal Welfare Act 2006: Imposes a legal duty of care on anyone responsible for animals to ensure they are protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease and receive appropriate care and treatment
• Welfare of Farmed Animals (Wales) Regulations 2007 (as amended): Requires livestock keepers to regularly inspect animals, provide prompt treatment when they are ill or injured, and maintain conditions that safeguard their welfare
• Animal Health Act 1981: Provides legal powers to control and prevent the spread of animal diseases through surveillance, movement restrictions, and government intervention where necessary
• Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013: Governs the lawful use of veterinary medicines, requiring correct prescription, administration, record-keeping, and adherence to withdrawal periods
• UK Animal Health and Public Health Surveillance Framework (including UKHSA Tick Surveillance Scheme): Supports coordinated monitoring of animal and human disease risks, including tick surveillance, to inform national One Health disease control efforts 

The plan should aim to:

• monitor tick presence, distribution, and seasonal variation in hill sheep flocks 
• identify high-risk grazing areas and environmental factors contributing to infestation 
• reduce tick burden through coordinated treatment and management strategies 
• improve early detection of tick-borne disease in livestock 
• contribute to national surveillance of native and non-native tick species 
• support knowledge exchange between graziers, veterinary teams, and public health agencies 

The plan should set out how the works will be delivered through a coordinated partnership model ensuring clear accountability, veterinary oversight, and consistent field delivery across all participating holdings.

4.1 Project coordination

• project officers deliver field coordination across defined hill areas, ensuring consistent coverage and engagement with graziers
• designated officer(s) will be responsible for administration, data management, quality assurance, and reporting of surveillance outputs

4.2 Veterinary oversight

• a lead veterinary surgeon to provide clinical leadership, coordinate training, oversee animal health standards, and validate field data 
• specialist veterinary input to support interpretation of surveillance findings and assessment of tick-borne disease risk 

4.3 Field support

• trained and skilled workers to support deliver, including: 
  o    flock handling and assistance during gathers 
  o    identification, collection, and recording of tick presence 
  o    collection of field-based health and surveillance data

The plan should operate a structured surveillance programme consistent with UK tick monitoring systems.

5.1 Data sources

• suggested inspections during: 
  o    shearing 
  o    mid-season gathers 
  o    autumn gathers 
• grazier reports and flock health records
• environmental mapping of grazing areas 
• public or incidental tick submissions where relevant 

5.2 Tick identification and reporting

• ticks may be submitted to the UKHSA Tick Surveillance Scheme for species identification and national monitoring 
• submissions support detection of: 
  o    native tick species distribution 
  o    emerging or imported species risks 
  o    seasonal and geographical trends

Livestock surveillance in Wales is carried out by The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)

APHA collects data from carrying out diagnostic tests (on gov.uk) and post-mortem examinations (on gov.uk) on farm animals as part of its disease surveillance.

The APHA national network also provides advice and support to veterinary surgeons to diagnose, control and prevent disease in farm animals.

Additionally, The Centre of Expertise in Extensively Managed Livestock (CoEEML) is led through Carmarthen Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) (on gov.uk) and forms part of the wider veterinary surveillance system operated by APHA.

‘Extensively-managed livestock’ are those that are kept in such a way that they are not easily inspected for signs of ill health or significantly altered production, for example animals that are kept on common land, uplands, mountains or moors. The primary focus for the centre are cattle and sheep.

The CoEEML aims to develop:

• engagement with keepers of extensively managed livestock to promote disease surveillance activities and improve collection of surveillance data
• communication and information sharing with farmers and vets, to promote healthy livestock, productivity and sustainable farming in extensive systems
• a virtual hub of expertise in surveillance in extensively managed livestock to complement the species expert groups within APHA

Contact coeeml@apha.gov.uk

In line with established livestock health principles, regular monitoring is essential to ensure welfare and productivity.

6.1 Clinical monitoring

Graziers should monitor sheep for:

• lameness or abnormal gait 
• poor body condition or weight loss 
• skin irritation, scratching, or wool loss 
• lethargy or separation from flock 
• signs consistent with tick-borne disease 

6.2 Veterinary Escalation

Suspected cases of tick-borne disease should be reported promptly to the scheme veterinary lead for investigation and, where appropriate, laboratory testing.

7.1 Routine treatment protocol

All flocks should be treated for external parasites:

• prior to turnout to hill grazing (typically April–June) 
• mid-season treatment where required based on monitoring results 
• prior to return from hill grazing 
• additional treatment may be advised based on risk assessment 

7.2 Integrated control approach

Control measures should be guided by veterinary advice and may include:

• strategic use of authorised ectoparasiticides 
• grazing management adjustments 
• targeted intervention in identified high-risk areas 
• ongoing monitoring to reduce reliance on chemical treatments where possible

Year 1 (2026): baseline establishment

• initial stakeholder meetings and training for all participating graziers 
• inclusion of broader sheep health topics (e.g. sheep scab awareness) 
• mapping of grazing areas with varying vegetation and topography 
• two structured surveillance surveys (spring/summer and autumn) 
• full data capture from sheep handling events 
• identification of high tick burden zones 
• first annual review meeting to assess baseline findings

Year 2 (2027): monitoring and refinement

• continued full scheme operations
• percentage-based flock sampling during gathers 
• implementation of agreed changes from Year 1 findings 
• continued treatment before and after hill grazing periods 
• enhanced data analysis of tick distribution and seasonal patterns 
• annual review meeting to assess progress and adjust strategy

Year 3 (early 2028): evaluation and consolidation

• continued monitoring based on established protocols 
• implementation of any agreed refinements 
• full evaluation of: 
  o    tick burden trends 
  o    treatment effectiveness 
  o    flock health outcomes 
  o    environmental risk factors 
• development of long-term recommendations for ongoing tick control

The scheme should include timely structured meeting, providing:

• veterinary-led training sessions 
• review of surveillance data and trends 
• welfare and husbandry discussions 
• biosecurity and disease prevention updates 
• opportunities for webinars and external collaboration 
• engagement with wider tick surveillance and research initiatives

Graziers are expected to maintain high standards of biosecurity, including:

• controlled movement of livestock, people, and equipment 
• cleaning and disinfection procedures for farm equipment 
• quarantine and inspection of incoming animals where applicable 
• routine health planning and veterinary consultation 

These measures are consistent with livestock disease prevention standards and are essential for reducing tick-borne disease risk .

The scheme should deliver:

• improved understanding of tick ecology in upland grazing systems 
• reduced tick burden in participating flocks 
• earlier detection of tick-borne disease risks 
• enhanced welfare and productivity of hill sheep 
• contribution to national surveillance of ticks and associated pathogens 
• stronger collaboration between agriculture, veterinary, and public health sectors

This policy will be reviewed annually based on:

• surveillance data outcomes 
• veterinary recommendations 
• grazier feedback 
• national changes in tick distribution or disease risk 

Adjustments will be implemented through the scheme governance structure.