Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Pregnancy Scanning and Welfare Management

Ultrasound pregnancy scanning in sheep enables targeted nutrition management based on litter size, preventing pregnancy toxaemia, improving lamb survival and reducing suffering.

Key Facts

Twin and triplet ewes have dramatically higher nutritional requirements in late pregnancy
Pregnancy toxaemia from inadequate energy causes prolonged suffering and death
Scanning allows ewes to be grouped and fed according to their litter size
Scanning at 70-90 days of gestation is standard practice on many farms
Adoption rates and fostering success improve when scanner identifies litter size

Welfare Considerations

Pregnancy scanning is a welfare intervention of exceptional cost-effectiveness. A single scan allows targeted nutrition that prevents the most common cause of ewe death in late pregnancy - pregnancy toxaemia - while also improving lamb survival through better neonatal condition. Farms that scan their ewes can reduce pre-lambing ewe mortality by over 50%.

What You Can Do

Support sheep farmers in adopting pregnancy scanning programmes
Advocate for pregnancy scanning as a welfare standard in sheep farm audits
Choose lamb from farms with documented pregnancy management protocols