Pregnancy toxaemia (twin lamb disease) is a serious metabolic condition causing significant suffering in late-pregnant ewes. Prevention through nutrition management is key.
Pregnancy toxaemia causes significant suffering - affected ewes become progressively more depressed, lose vision, and die in a state of metabolic crisis. The condition is almost entirely preventable with adequate nutritional management in late pregnancy. Yet it remains common on farms where body condition scoring and nutritional planning are inadequate. Prevention requires relatively modest investment compared to the welfare cost of the disease.