Animal welfare is becoming an increasingly important component of global animal husbandry. Animal welfare is an important dimension that shows whether animal-based systems are sustainable. A husbandry system that results in low animal welfare is not sustainable and is considered unacceptable by many consumers. Animal welfare is assessed from the point of view that the animals' biological functions function optimally under the husbandry conditions and that they can maintain positive emotional states that correspond to their natural living conditions. The quality of food is determined by the welfare status of the animals from which the food originates and the quality and safety of the final product. Therefore, there is a need for strategies to improve animal welfare and for reliable monitoring systems on farms to assess animal welfare, manage potential risks and meet societal concerns and market demands. There is also a need for practical and standardised methods to assess animal welfare.

Live weight is used as an important selection criterion for improving the productivity of livestock. Changes in live weight in small ruminants are used to monitor animal health. It is also known that body condition scores based on live weight are more readily accepted by breeders when monitoring animal performance, health and welfare. By regularly monitoring body weight, body reserves can be identified and growth, reproductive performance, meat and milk production can be brought to the desired level. This study aims to emphasise the importance of live weight and welfare practises in small ruminants.