Ewe Nutrition and Welfare Through Pregnancy

Nutritional management of ewes during pregnancy is critical for ewe welfare, lamb survival, and reducing metabolic disease.

Key Facts

Pregnancy toxaemia occurs when ewes fail to meet energy demands in late pregnancy
Twin-bearing ewes require 50 percent more energy in the final six weeks than single-bearing ewes
Body condition scoring at key reproductive stages guides nutritional intervention
Scanning ewes at 70-90 days allows litter size identification for targeted feeding
Colostrum quality is directly related to ewe nutrition in late pregnancy

Welfare Considerations

Undernourished ewes in late pregnancy develop pregnancy toxaemia (twin lamb disease), a painful metabolic crisis that is often fatal if not treated promptly. Overfat ewes at tupping are also at risk of dystokia and related complications. Nutritional stress impairs colostrum production, directly reducing lamb survival. Ewes carrying multiple fetuses require substantially increased energy intake that is often underestimated. Strategic supplementary feeding based on scanning results and body condition is a welfare-positive and economically sound practice. Monitoring ewes frequently in the last weeks of pregnancy detects problems early.

What You Can Do

Support farms using pregnancy scanning to target ewe feeding
Advocate for ewe nutrition training as part of shepherd certification programs
Choose lamb products from farms with documented flock nutrition management
Back research into precision nutrition tools for sheep enterprises