12/08/2026
*Message from APHA*
The circulating BTV-3 variant in south west England has prompted discussion on social media forums leading to comments that the likelihood of midges biting sheep and therefore BTV-3 infection will be reduced in fully fleeced sheep and that farmers should not shear their sheep to reduce risks.
Given the current temperatures in various parts of the UK, shearing of sheep to alleviate the impacts of heat stress are paramount to meeting the welfare needs of sheep in many areas of the UK at the moment and delaying shearing until October on this basis is not acceptable when heat stress in sheep is a real risk on farm, during transport and at markets.
