Farm Animal Welfare

Neonatal Lamb Mortality on Pasture

Neonatal lamb mortality is one of the most significant welfare issues in sheep farming, with preventable deaths numbering in the millions.

Key Facts

Neonatal losses account for 10 to 25% of all lambs born in extensive sheep systems
Hypothermia, mismothering, and starvation are the leading causes of neonatal death
Twin and triplet lambs are at significantly higher risk due to reduced individual maternal attention
Lambing huts and heated lamb shelters reduce hypothermia deaths by 40 to 60%
Colostrum intake within the first 6 hours is critical; lambs missing it have 10 times higher mortality

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal death in lambs involves suffering: hypothermia, starvation, and abandonment cause distress in animals capable of experiencing aversive states. Prevention requires labor investment that many extensive systems cannot sustain, but targeted interventions like shelter provision and colostrum supplementation offer cost-effective welfare improvements.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes that require covered lambing areas and neonatal welfare protocols
Advocate for agricultural extension services to prioritize neonatal lamb welfare education
Choose lamb products from farms with documented low neonatal mortality rates where information is available