Farm Animal Welfare

Sheep Welfare and Neonatal Lamb Survival

Neonatal lamb mortality from hypothermia, starvation and disease represents a major welfare cost of sheep farming. Targeted management at lambing reduces preventable deaths substantially.

Key Facts

Neonatal mortality accounts for approximately 15-20% of lambs born in extensive UK systems
Hypothermia is the most common cause of death in newborn lambs within 24 hours
Warm boxes and glucose drenching are front-line interventions for hypothermic lambs
Colostrum provision within two hours of birth is critical for immunity and energy
Triplet and quadruplet lambs are at much higher risk of mortality without supplementary feeding

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal lamb mortality is a welfare catastrophe that is largely preventable with appropriate stockperson skill and attention. Each preventable lamb death represents significant suffering and loss of life.

What You Can Do

Support lambing training programmes for sheep farmers and their staff
Advocate for lambing supervision standards in sheep welfare certification
Choose lamb from farms with documented low neonatal mortality rates