Nutritional management of ewes in the final weeks before lambing is critical for lamb viability and ewe welfare, with both under and over-nutrition creating serious welfare risks.
Pre-lambing nutrition failures cause serious and preventable welfare harm. Pregnancy toxemia causes progressive neurological deterioration, inability to eat, and ultimately recumbency and death if not treated. Hypocalcaemia causes acute muscle weakness that prevents ewes from standing to lamb or care for their lambs. Both conditions are largely preventable through appropriate nutritional management and body condition monitoring. Farm staff training in body condition scoring and recognition of metabolic disease signs enables early intervention.