Lambing is the most intensive period in sheep farming welfare, requiring skilled stockperson intervention, disease prevention and neonatal care to reduce both ewe and lamb mortality and suffering.
Lambing welfare requires skilled observation and timely intervention - the window for effective assistance in dystocia is narrow, and the difference between skilled and unskilled intervention determines whether ewes and lambs survive with minimal damage. New lambs are highly vulnerable to hypothermia - the combination of wet coats, cold temperatures and inadequate colostrum can be fatal within hours. The stockperson's role at lambing is more intense than at any other period, requiring constant monitoring, clinical assessment and appropriate intervention. Welfare investment at lambing (training, facilities, staffing levels) delivers disproportionate returns - survival rates, lamb growth and ewe health are all significantly better on farms with adequate lambing supervision.