Sheep Pregnancy Toxaemia Prevention

Pregnancy toxaemia, or twin lamb disease, is a serious metabolic condition in late-pregnant ewes that causes significant welfare impact and high mortality if not prevented through good nutritional management.

Key Facts

Pregnancy toxaemia develops when the energy demands of developing lambs exceed the ewe's intake and metabolic capacity.
Risk is highest in ewes carrying twins or triplets in the final 6 weeks of pregnancy when lamb growth accelerates.
Clinical signs include lethargy, teeth grinding, blindness, and collapse — all severe welfare indicators.
Treatment with glucose drench and veterinary care has variable success, but prevention through nutrition is far more effective.
Condition scoring at weaning, tupping, and scanning allows targeted feeding of ewes based on body condition and litter size.

Welfare Considerations

Pregnancy toxaemia causes severe suffering in affected ewes — the neurological signs of the late stages represent significant welfare compromise before death. The tragedy is that it is largely preventable through nutritional management informed by body condition scoring and scanning outcomes. Flock-level prevention through targeted feeding is a high-impact, cost-effective welfare investment that reduces individual animal suffering at the population level.

What You Can Do

Implement body condition scoring at weaning, tupping, and 6 weeks before lambing to enable targeted feeding.
Feed ewes according to litter size after scanning — twins and triplets need significantly higher energy rations than singles.
Monitor ewes in late pregnancy daily for early signs of toxaemia including lagging behind the flock and reduced appetite.
Work with your vet to establish a written feeding and monitoring protocol for late-gestation ewes.