Farm Animals

Sheep Pregnancy Diagnosis Welfare

Pregnancy diagnosis in sheep using ultrasound improves welfare by allowing targeted feeding of twin and triplet-bearing ewes to prevent pregnancy toxaemia.

Key Facts

Ultrasound scanning at 60-90 days gestation accurately identifies litter size
Twin and triplet ewes need significantly higher energy intake in late pregnancy
Mis-fed ewes are at high risk of pregnancy toxaemia, a painful metabolic disease
Scanning allows separation of ewes into feeding groups reducing competition
Scanning services are widely available and cost-effective at flock scale

Welfare Considerations

Pregnancy toxaemia causes severe suffering and often death. Scanning enables targeted nutrition that prevents this entirely avoidable condition.

What You Can Do

Scan ewes for pregnancy status and litter size each season
Separate and manage ewes by litter size in late pregnancy
Provide adequate energy supplementation to twin and triplet ewes
Monitor body condition score throughout gestation