Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Pregnancy Toxaemia Prevention

Pregnancy toxaemia (twin lamb disease) causes severe suffering and death in late-pregnant ewes. Prevention through body condition and nutrition management is highly effective.

Key Facts

Pregnancy toxaemia occurs when ewes carrying multiple fetuses cannot meet energy demands from limited feed intake
Ewes with poor body condition entering pregnancy are most vulnerable to this metabolic crisis
Ketone bodies accumulate causing neurological signs, recumbency, and death without treatment
Supplementary energy feeding from day 100 of pregnancy prevents most cases in at-risk ewes
Body condition scoring at tupping and scanning results guide targeted supplementation programs

Welfare Considerations

Pregnancy toxaemia represents preventable metabolic suffering in late-pregnant ewes. The neurological signs - head pressing, stargazing, and recumbency - indicate severe metabolic crisis causing significant distress. Simple nutritional management, guided by body condition scoring and pregnancy scanning results, prevents most cases. The welfare case for prevention is compelling and the economic case equally strong.

What You Can Do

Support sheep farmer education programs on body condition scoring and pregnancy nutrition
Advocate for sheep welfare standards requiring nutritional monitoring in late pregnancy
Choose lamb from farms with documented pregnancy toxaemia prevention protocols
Support veterinary guidance organizations providing evidence-based sheep nutrition advice