Sheep Pregnancy Diagnosis: Welfare Benefits of Scanning

Ultrasound pregnancy scanning in sheep provides critical information for nutritional management that prevents pregnancy toxemia and improves both ewe and lamb welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

Pregnancy toxemia (twin lamb disease) affects ewes carrying multiple fetuses in late gestation when nutrition is inadequate
Scanning at 75-90 days gestation identifies single, twin, and triplet-bearing ewes for separate feeding groups
Twin-bearing ewes need approximately 15-20% more energy than singles in late gestation
Scanning allows culling of empty ewes before winter feeding period - economic and welfare benefit
Triplet ewes benefit from supplementary feeding and often require additional lambing management
UK studies show scanning increases output and reduces ewe mortality by improving late gestation management

Welfare Considerations

Pregnancy scanning welfare impacts are primarily realized through prevention rather than treatment. Pregnancy toxemia causes severe metabolic illness in late-gestation ewes that can progress to death if untreated, and surviving ewes often lose one or more lambs to the condition. Scanning enables targeted nutrition that prevents the energy deficit underlying pregnancy toxemia, protecting both ewe welfare and lamb survival. The welfare benefit extends to lambs: ewes adequately nourished in late gestation produce lambs with better birth weights and more vigorous immune systems, reducing early lamb mortality from hypothermia and starvation.

What You Can Do

Invest in pregnancy scanning for all ewes - the welfare and economic return justifies the cost
Separate ewes by scanning result into singles, twins, and triplets for appropriate late-gestation feeding
Monitor body condition score at scanning and adjust feeding to achieve target condition at lambing
Identify triplet-bearing ewes for additional lambing management planning
Train farm staff to recognize early signs of pregnancy toxemia in late-gestation ewes