Neonatal lamb mortality is one of the most significant welfare challenges in sheep production, with evidence-based management substantially reducing preventable deaths.
Neonatal lamb deaths represent acute suffering - lambs dying from hypothermia and starvation experience progressive weakness, distress, and deterioration over hours. The welfare burden is compounded by the fact that most deaths are preventable with appropriate management. Lambing supervision intensity, shelter provision, colostrum management, and stockperson training in lamb resuscitation are evidence-based interventions that substantially reduce mortality. Operations that invest in lambing supervision demonstrate both better welfare outcomes and better production economics, making this a welfare intervention with aligned incentives.