Sheep Lambing Welfare: Managing the Highest-Risk Period in the Sheep Production Cycle

Lambing is the most welfare-critical period in sheep farming. Good lambing management protects both ewe and lamb welfare while reducing losses that cause significant economic harm.

Key Facts

Perinatal mortality accounts for approximately 15-20% of lambs born in UK flocks, representing both significant welfare harm and substantial economic loss
Hypothermia is the leading cause of lamb death — lambs born outside in poor weather without prompt maternal attention can become hypothermic within hours
Dystocia (difficult birth) causes suffering for both ewe and lamb and requires prompt, skilled intervention to prevent prolonged distress and mortality
Adequate colostrum intake within four hours of birth is critical for lamb survival and immune function — delayed intake causes hypoglycaemia and immunodeficiency
Indoor lambing during the highest-risk period allows closer supervision but requires good ventilation and hygiene to prevent respiratory disease
Mismothering — where ewes reject lambs — is a major welfare problem, particularly in housed flocks and in prolific breeds — requires skilled stockperson intervention
Pain management for ewes experiencing dystocia is often inadequate — surveys suggest fewer than 30% of farmers routinely use analgesics during or after difficult lambing

Welfare Considerations

Lambing concentrates the most acute welfare risks of sheep production into a brief, intensive period. Lambs experiencing dystocia suffer during prolonged obstructed delivery; ewes without analgesic support during difficult births endure significant pain. Lambs separated from their mothers or rejected experience cold, hunger, and social deprivation. The welfare and economic incentives for good lambing management are aligned — lamb mortality is financially costly as well as a welfare failure — yet many flocks still experience high perinatal loss rates that evidence-based management could substantially reduce. Skilled stockpersonship during lambing — including prompt intervention for dystocia, hypothermia treatment, colostrum supplementation, and ewe-lamb bonding support — is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions in sheep farming.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory pain management for ewes during and after assisted lambings as a farm assurance welfare requirement
Support agricultural training programmes that teach skilled lambing technique including hypothermia recognition and colostrum supplementation
Choose lamb products from farms with documented perinatal mortality monitoring and welfare-focused lambing management protocols
Engage with sheep farmers on the economic case for better lambing welfare — reducing lamb mortality to industry best practice levels has direct financial return
Donate to Moredun Research Institute and SRUC (Scotland's Rural College) that conduct research on sheep welfare including perinatal mortality prevention
Push for veterinary herd health plans for sheep flocks to include lambing welfare as a core planning component alongside reproductive and nutritional management
Raise awareness among consumers that lamb welfare begins at birth and that the lambing period is the most welfare-critical moment in the sheep production year