Hypothermia in Newborn Lambs: Welfare and Prevention

Key Facts

• Lambs are born with minimal fat reserves and are highly vulnerable to cold, wet, and wind chill
• Hypothermia occurs in two phases: early (0-5 hours, energy depletion) and late (5+ hours, wet+cold exposure)
• Signs include shivering, hunching, sunken eyes, cold mouth, and inability to stand or suckle
• Treatment differs by body temperature: mild hypothermia (above 37C) responds to warming and colostrum; severe (below 37C) requires IV glucose before warming
• Prevention centers on shelter, early suckling, and monitoring of triplets and lambs born to poor milkers

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal lamb hypothermia causes significant suffering and is one of the most preventable welfare problems in sheep farming. Cold lambs that cannot stand or suckle experience a progressive deterioration toward coma and death. The distress of a cold, weakening lamb that cannot bond with its mother is a major welfare concern. Prevention requires adequate housing at lambing, prompt identification of at-risk lambs (multiples, low birth weight, difficult births), and ensuring colostrum intake within the first hour of life. Lamb adoption and fostering protocols minimize the suffering of orphan lambs.

What You Can Do

• Provide clean, dry, draft-free lambing pens with adequate bedding for all ewes close to lambing
• Check all lambs within the first hour of birth — ensure they have suckled and are warm
• Have a lamb warming box available for hypothermic lambs — target 39-40C body temperature
• Prioritize colostrum intake within the first 6 hours — stomach-tube if needed
• Monitor triplets closely — the smallest lamb often fails to compete for milk access