Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Neonatal Lamb Hypothermia Prevention

Hypothermia is the leading cause of neonatal lamb mortality. Simple prevention and treatment measures save lives and prevent suffering during the critical first 24 hours.

Key Facts

Approximately 30% of lamb deaths occur in the first 24 hours of life from hypothermia and starvation
Lambs lose heat rapidly through evaporation if not dried quickly after birth
Colostrum within 2 hours of birth is critical for both energy and passive immune transfer
Hypothermia treatment using warm water immersion and tube feeding restores hypothermic lambs within hours
Lamb shelters during bad weather significantly reduce hypothermia death rates in outdoor lambing systems

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal lamb hypothermia welfare is acutely preventable through timely monitoring and intervention. A hypothermic lamb suffering in cold wet conditions can be restored to welfare within hours with appropriate treatment. The challenge is detection - outdoor lambing at night in cold weather requires surveillance investment that not all farms provide.

What You Can Do

Support farmer training programs in hypothermia prevention and treatment at lambing
Advocate for welfare standards requiring adequate lambing supervision and shelter provision
Choose lamb from farms with documented neonatal welfare programs
Support veterinary guidance organizations providing evidence-based lamb hypothermia management