Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Metabolic Disease Welfare Management

Metabolic diseases including grass staggers, milk fever, and pregnancy toxaemia represent preventable welfare emergencies in sheep that thoughtful management reduces.

Key Facts

Hypomagnesaemia (grass staggers) causes convulsions and rapid death in grazing sheep
Hypocalcaemia around parturition causes muscle weakness and recumbency
Metabolic diseases cluster around key physiological transition periods
Dietary supplementation and monitoring significantly reduce metabolic disease incidence
Early detection and treatment improves outcome dramatically

Welfare Considerations

Metabolic disease causes acute welfare emergencies that are almost entirely preventable through appropriate nutrition and monitoring. The suffering caused by convulsions, collapse, and death from metabolic disease represents avoidable harm.

What You Can Do

Implement magnesium supplementation programs during spring flush for susceptible flocks
Monitor ewes closely in the periparturient period for early metabolic disease signs
Work with a veterinary advisor to develop metabolic disease prevention protocols