Farm Animals

Farmed Sheep Lambing Intensification Welfare

Intensified indoor lambing to improve survival rates creates welfare tradeoffs with behavioral restrictions for ewes and lambs.

Key Facts

Indoor lambing reduces lamb mortality through weather protection and supervision
High-intensity indoor systems increase lambing percentage but restrict movement
Ewes in small pens during lambing cannot express normal behavior
Extended indoor housing for lambs before turnout may impair behavioral development

Welfare Considerations

Intensified indoor lambing improves survival statistics but may reduce behavioral welfare for ewes and lambs. Ewes in small pens cannot escape lamb following and may not be able to reject weaker lambs as they would outdoors. Extended confinement restricts normal social development.

What You Can Do

Support sheep farms with lower-intensity lambing approaches that balance survival and welfare
Advocate for lambing system welfare assessment that captures behavioral outcomes
Back research into optimal lambing environments that balance mortality and behavioral welfare
Choose lamb products from certified welfare systems with documented lambing practices