Sheep Lambing Welfare: Neonatal Care and Mothering Support

Lamb mortality in the first 72 hours of life represents a major welfare challenge. Attentive management during the lambing period dramatically reduces preventable neonatal deaths.

Key Facts

Perinatal lamb mortality averages 10-20% in many flocks, with the majority occurring in the first 3 days
Hypothermia, starvation, and mis-mothering account for most neonatal lamb deaths
Colostrum intake within 4-6 hours of birth is critical - lambs unable to suckle need assistance or tube feeding
Ewe mis-mothering is more common in high-yielding dairy breeds and with triplet births where a lamb may be abandoned
Lamb warming boxes can revive hypothermic lambs that appear lifeless if core temperature has not dropped below 27 degrees
Electronic lamb adoption assists (using scent disguise) can improve ewe acceptance of foster lambs

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal lamb welfare requires intensive management during the lambing period - a time when welfare problems develop rapidly but the window for effective intervention is short. A hypothermic lamb found 4 hours after birth has a good prognosis with warming and colostrum; a lamb found 8 hours later may be irretrievably compromised. The welfare case for close lambing supervision including overnight checks is strong during the peak lambing period. Managing triplets - where ewes often reject the third lamb - requires proactive identification and either intensive supplemental feeding or fostering. Farms with good lambing protocols show dramatically lower neonatal mortality rates demonstrating welfare improvement is achievable.

What You Can Do

Supervise flocks closely during peak lambing periods including overnight checks in intensive systems
Provide lambing pens where ewes and lambs can bond undisturbed for 24-48 hours after birth
Have colostrum replacer, feeding tubes, and warming boxes available before lambing begins
Check all lambs within 2 hours of birth to ensure they have suckled successfully
Identify triplets at birth and make decisions about supplemental feeding or fostering proactively
Train all staff in hypothermia assessment and treatment protocols before the lambing season