Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Enhance requirements for farmers to shelter sheep kept outdoors

Closed 329 signatures

What the petition asks

We want the Government to amend legislation and recommendations in Government guidance so that farmers are required to provide protection from adverse weather conditions. We believe current legislation is not sufficiently clear, and guidance not strong enough.
Currently the Government recommends that, where there is no natural shelter for sheep, artificial shelter, such as the placement of straw bales, should be provided. We want farmers to be required to provide structures that shelter sheep from heat, rain, wind and snow.

Many of us have seen sheep out on pastures during awful weather with nowhere to hide from the elements. At the moment this appears to be legal. We think proper portable structures should be provided to avoid the sheeps' distress and potential death.

Timeline

14 Feb 2024 Petition opened for signatures
29 May 2024 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 329
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 14 Feb 2024
Closed 29 May 2024

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.