Intensive Farming

Sheep Welfare During Lambing Season

The lambing period is the highest-risk welfare phase in sheep production, requiring intensive management to prevent preventable mortality.

Key Facts

Lamb mortality during the perinatal period averages 15-20% in many UK flocks
Hypothermia, mismothering, and starvation cause most preventable lamb deaths
Dystocia causes suffering in both ewes and lambs and requires prompt intervention
Night lambing checks reduce mortality but impose fatigue costs on farmers

Welfare Considerations

Lambs born in adverse weather without prompt attention develop hypothermia rapidly and die from exposure. Dystocia (difficult birth) causes prolonged suffering in ewes and hypoxic brain damage in lambs. Mismothered lambs face rejection and starvation. Appropriate shepherd attention, shelter, and intervention protocols prevent most preventable deaths and reduce suffering for both ewes and lambs.

What You Can Do

Support sheep farmers with appropriate lambing infrastructure and staffing
Advocate for welfare codes requiring lambing shelter provision
Learn to recognize signs of dystocia and hypothermia if working with sheep
Support research into lambing management that reduces preventable mortality