Neonatal lamb mortality during lambing season is a major welfare challenge. Colostrum management, hypothermia prevention and lamb vigour assessment save thousands of lives.
Newborn lambs are highly vulnerable to cold, wet weather and inadequate nutrition. A lamb that fails to stand and suckle within the first two hours faces rapid energy depletion and hypothermia. Welfare during lambing depends entirely on stockperson observation quality — skilled shepherds identify at-risk lambs early and intervene before deterioration becomes life-threatening. Warming boxes, stomach tube feeding with colostrum and sheltered lambing pens dramatically reduce mortality. Mismothering in synchronised lambing systems creates additional welfare challenges requiring individual lamb-ewe bonding management.