Sheep Neonatal Survival: Welfare Interventions at Lambing

Neonatal lamb mortality is a major welfare and economic problem - targeted interventions at lambing reduce deaths from hypothermia, starvation, and mismothering.

Key Facts

UK neonatal lamb mortality averages 15-20% in commercial flocks, with hypothermia the leading cause
Lamb survival within the first 72 hours is critical and depends on colostrum intake within 2-6 hours
Shelter from wind and rain reduces hypothermia risk dramatically in outdoor lambing systems
Mismothering (ewes rejecting lambs) is more common in high-disturbance environments
Supplementary heat lamps and stomach tubing colostrum save lambs that would otherwise die

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal lamb mortality represents enormous welfare burden - millions of lambs die annually in UK flocks from preventable causes. Hypothermia causes prolonged suffering before death. The most impactful welfare interventions are simple: shelter provision to reduce wind chill, adequate ewe nutrition to ensure colostrum quality and quantity, low-disturbance lambing environments to reduce mismothering, and skilled supervision during lambing. Producers who invest in lambing management achieve both better welfare and better economics through higher lamb survival rates.

What You Can Do

Support sheep producers with documented low neonatal mortality rates and good lambing management
Advocate for neonatal mortality to be tracked and reported in sheep welfare certification
Learn about the welfare science of lamb survival and colostrum importance
Choose lamb from farms with strong welfare management at lambing