Sheep Lambing Welfare and Stockmanship

Lambing is a critical welfare period for both ewes and lambs, requiring skilled stockmanship and appropriate support for difficult births.

Key Facts

Malpresentation of lambs during birth is a common cause of prolonged and painful labor
Assisted lambings that are managed correctly dramatically improve outcomes for both ewe and lambs
Exposure and starvation are the primary causes of lamb death in the first 24 hours of life
Ewe body condition at lambing time significantly affects both the ease of birth and maternal milk availability

Welfare Considerations

Lambing welfare depends critically on skilled, attentive stockmanship that can distinguish normal from abnormal deliveries and intervene appropriately when needed. Ewes with malpresented lambs suffer prolonged labor that causes exhaustion, trauma, and infection risk without skilled assistance. Lambs born in poor condition or to ewes with inadequate colostrum face immediate welfare challenges including hypoglycemia and hypothermia. The welfare of lambing operations is strongly correlated with shepherd experience, regular checking of ewes during the lambing period, and availability of appropriate equipment including warming boxes, colostrum, and stomach tubes for lamb rehydration and nutrition.

What You Can Do

Support sheep farming standards that include minimum shepherd-to-ewe ratios during lambing
Advocate for stockmanship training that includes practical lambing assistance and welfare assessment
Choose lamb from farms with documented high welfare lambing practices
Engage with sheep farming communities on sharing best practice for welfare-positive lambing management