Lambing Management: Maximizing Ewe and Lamb Welfare

Intensive lambing period management protects the welfare of ewes and newborn lambs during the most high-risk period of the sheep production cycle.

Key Facts

The lambing period is the highest risk period for both ewe and lamb mortality in sheep production
Hypothermia is the leading cause of lamb death in the first 24 hours in the UK
Twin and triplet lambs are at highest hypothermia risk due to smaller birth size
Fostering and ewe adoption management significantly reduces lamb abandonment
Lamb stomach tubing provides lifesaving glucose and colostrum to weak or hypothermic lambs
Dystocia in ewes causes both ewe and lamb mortality if not identified and assisted promptly
Adequate staffing and 24-hour monitoring during lambing significantly improves outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Lambing is a welfare-critical period where intensive management prevents enormous amounts of suffering. Hypothermic lambs die slowly over hours; dystocia causes progressive suffering for ewe and undelivered lamb; abandoned lambs starve or die of exposure. Each of these outcomes is largely preventable with appropriate supervision, facilities, and skills. Farms that invest in adequate lambing staffing, training, and facilities consistently achieve better welfare outcomes than those that rely on minimal supervision during this critical period.

What You Can Do

Ensure adequate staffing for 24-hour monitoring during the core lambing period
Maintain a warm, dry lambing area with individual pens for ewes with lambs
Train all lambing staff in hypothermia recognition and treatment including stomach tubing
Intervene with dystocia assistance within 30-45 minutes of active labor without delivery
Have fostering and artificial rearing supplies ready before lambing begins