Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Neonatal Lamb Colostrum Management

Colostrum intake in the first hours of life is critical for lamb survival and welfare, and failures in colostrum management cause preventable mortality.

Key Facts

Lambs must receive colostrum within 6 hours of birth for maximum immune absorption
10% of body weight in colostrum is the recommended intake in the first 24 hours
Passive transfer failure is a leading cause of neonatal lamb mortality
Stored colostrum from ewes or bovine sources can supplement inadequate maternal intake
Ensuring all weak lambs receive supplementary colostrum reduces mortality significantly

Welfare Considerations

Failure to receive adequate colostrum exposes lambs to infectious disease and death during their most vulnerable period. The suffering of sick neonatal lambs is significant and largely preventable through good colostrum management. This is a high-impact, low-cost welfare intervention for sheep production.

What You Can Do

Support lambing welfare training including colostrum management
Ensure colostrum is stored and available for supplementary feeding
Advocate for neonatal monitoring standards in sheep codes of practice