How to Stop Lambs From Dying After Birth

How to Stop Lambs From Dying After Birth

There is a particular silence in a lambing shed at dawn, and any shepherd who has lost lambs knows it. You walk the pens expecting movement, and instead you find a small, cold body that was alive and kicking a few hours earlier. The first season it happened to me, I lost nearly one lamb in four. I blamed bad luck, the weather and the ewes. It took a long time, and a lot of post-mortems, before I understood that most of those lambs had not died of mysterious causes. They had died of cold, hunger and infection in the first two days of life, and almost every one of those deaths could have been prevented by something I did or failed to do before and during the birth.

Here is the direct answer. To stop lambs dying after birth, you protect them against the main killers in the first hours and days: cold, hunger, infection and birth problems. That means feeding ewes properly in late pregnancy so lambs are born strong and ewes have milk, preparing a clean, dry, sheltered lambing area, being present at lambing to help where needed, making sure every lamb is dry, warm and gets colostrum within the first hours, treating navels, keeping ewes and lambs bonded, following a vaccination and mineral program, and acting fast on any lamb that is cold, weak or not sucking. Most lambs that die within a few days are lost to a small number of preventable causes, and a farmer who watches closely and acts early can save the majority of them.

The rest of this article explains the causes and the practical steps, in the order that matters.

Why newborn lambs die

Lamb losses cluster in the first 48 hours of life, and the causes fall into a few groups. Some lambs die before or during birth, from difficult deliveries, oversized or badly positioned lambs, or infections and other problems that began in the womb. Some die from starvation and cold, a combination often called the starvation, mismothering and exposure complex, where a weak or ignored lamb fails to feed, loses body heat, and dies. Some die from infections, including infections entering through the navel, or from diarrhea and bacterial diseases in the first days or weeks. Some die from nutritional or mineral problems, such as deficiencies that leave lambs weak or paralyzed. Some die from accidents or predators, being crushed, trampled or carried off.

These causes are connected. A lamb born small to an underfed ewe is weak, loses heat quickly, struggles to find the teat, and misses colostrum. Without colostrum it lacks the energy and the protective antibodies it needs, so it becomes cold and infected. Strong lambs from well-fed ewes in clean, sheltered surroundings rarely follow that path.

Typical losses between birth and weaning can be substantial in poorly managed flocks, and well-managed flocks often keep losses well below that. Your own records will tell you where you stand, and the goal is to bring the number down season by season.

What most farmers get wrong

They underfeed ewes in late pregnancy. The last six weeks of pregnancy are when lambs grow fastest. An underfed ewe produces small, weak lambs, little colostrum and little milk. Many lamb deaths are decided in the weeks before birth.

They are absent at lambing. Many ewes lamb without trouble, but the ones that struggle, the ones with twins and the ones that reject a lamb need someone there. A lamb left cold and unfed for a few hours can be beyond saving.

They skip colostrum. Newborn lambs get their early immunity and a vital burst of energy from the ewe’s first milk. A lamb that misses colostrum is far more likely to get sick and die. Many farmers assume that if the lamb is alive and the ewe is nearby, it must be feeding.

They crowd ewes in dirty, wet lambing areas. Mud, damp bedding and crowded pens expose lambs to cold and infection. A dirty pen is a source of the bacteria that infect navels and cause scours.

They forget the navel. The navel is an open door for bacteria. An untreated navel can lead to navel ill and joint ill, and lambs can die or be crippled.

They ignore weak twins and triplets. Multiple-born lambs are smaller and more likely to be pushed aside. Without extra attention, the smallest lamb often starves.

They rush or delay at difficult births. Pulling too early or too roughly injures ewes and lambs, and waiting too long loses the lamb. Knowing when to help and when to call for help makes a big difference.

They keep no record of losses. If you do not note when and how lambs died, you cannot find the pattern. A lamb that dies in the first day tells a different story from one that dies at two weeks.

Step-by-step: how to keep lambs alive after birth

Step 1: Feed the ewes right before lambing. In the last six weeks of pregnancy, increase the quality and quantity of feed gradually so that the ewe and the growing lambs get enough energy and protein. Ewes carrying twins or triplets need more than those with singles, which is one reason pregnancy scanning is valuable. Aim for ewes in good body condition at lambing, neither thin nor fat. Underfed ewes also risk pregnancy toxemia, a serious illness that can kill ewes and lambs. Provide good forage, appropriate supplements, clean water and a sheep mineral mix. Avoid abrupt changes in diet.

Step 2: Vaccinate and supplement according to your region. Ask your veterinarian which diseases are common in your area. Vaccines against clostridial diseases, given to ewes before lambing according to the schedule, pass protective antibodies to lambs through colostrum. Selenium, vitamin E, iodine and copper levels can affect lamb vigor and survival, but needs differ by region, and sheep are sensitive to excess copper, so use sheep-specific products and take professional advice. A balanced, healthy ewe gives a stronger lamb.

Step 3: Prepare the lambing area. Choose a clean, dry, well-drained, sheltered place, protected from wind, rain and predators, with enough room that ewes are not crowded. Use fresh, dry bedding such as straw or dry shavings, and add more as it gets soiled. Prepare a number of small individual pens, often called jugs, for ewes and newborn lambs. Disinfect pens between uses. Ewes that lamb in dirty, muddy yards have a higher rate of infection and losses.

Step 4: Get your supplies ready. Keep these on hand before lambing begins: clean towels or dry cloths, 7 percent iodine solution or a recommended navel dip, a clean cup or container for dipping, clean disposable gloves and lubricant, a lamb feeding tube and syringe or a bottle with a lamb teat, frozen colostrum or a colostrum replacer, ear tags or markers, a thermometer, a heat lamp or warming box, and the number of your veterinarian. Having everything ready saves precious minutes.

Step 5: Be present and watch carefully. In the lambing season, check ewes at least several times a day, and more often at night during peak lambing, keeping disturbance to a minimum. Learn the signs of labor, and when a ewe is straining without progress. As a rough guide, if a ewe has been straining hard for an hour with no sign of a lamb, or if you can see only part of a lamb that is not progressing, she may need help. Wash your hands, use clean lubricant, and be gentle. If you cannot easily correct a problem such as a malpositioned lamb, call a veterinarian early. Do not wait until the ewe is exhausted.

Step 6: Make sure every lamb is breathing, dry and warm. As soon as a lamb is born, clear mucus from its nose and mouth. If it is not breathing, rub it firmly with a towel and tickle its nose with a piece of straw to stimulate a breath. Let the ewe lick the lamb dry where possible, because it stimulates bonding. If the weather is cold or wet, or the ewe is not cleaning the lamb, dry it with a towel and move it to a warm place. Newborn lambs lose heat very quickly, especially when wet and exposed to wind.

Step 7: Treat the navel promptly. As soon as possible after birth, dip or spray the navel cord thoroughly with iodine solution or another recommended navel treatment, making sure the whole cord is wet. Repeat if advised. This dries the cord and helps prevent infection. Do it with clean hands and clean equipment.

Step 8: Make sure each lamb gets colostrum quickly. The first milk is rich in energy and antibodies. Lambs should suck within the first hour or two of life, and ideally receive roughly 50 millilitres of colostrum per kilogram of body weight in the first few hours, continuing through the first 24 hours, though your veterinarian can advise on exact amounts for your breed. Watch that the lamb finds the teat, and that the ewe has milk. Gently help the lamb to suckle if needed, and check that the teat is not blocked by wax. If a lamb is weak, will not suckle, or the ewe has no milk, milk the ewe by hand and feed the lamb colostrum with a bottle or tube. If the ewe’s own colostrum is unavailable, use colostrum from another ewe, frozen stored colostrum, or a good-quality replacer. Handle tube feeding properly, with training, because incorrect tubing can drown a lamb.

Step 9: Warm cold lambs before you feed them. A lamb that is cold, limp, will not lift its head, or has a cold mouth is in danger. Normal newborn lamb temperature is around 39 to 40 degrees Celsius, and a lamb with a body temperature below about 37 degrees is chilled. A very cold lamb cannot digest milk and must be warmed first. Dry it, then warm it gently in a warming box, a warm room, or by using a heat lamp placed at a safe distance, taking care to avoid burns. In emergencies, a warm bath up to the neck can help after drying, but dry the lamb thoroughly afterward. Once the lamb is warm and active, feed it colostrum or milk. Severely hypothermic lambs may need veterinary help, such as glucose given by a trained person. Do not delay.

Step 10: Bond ewes and lambs. Keep ewes and newborn lambs together in a small pen for the first day or two, which helps them recognize each other and reduces mismothering. Make sure the ewe accepts each lamb and allows it to suckle. Watch for ewes that butt or ignore lambs, especially first-time mothers and ewes with twins or triplets. Mark each ewe and her lambs with matching numbers so you can quickly spot a lamb that is separated. Keep disturbance, noise and dogs away from the lambing area.

Step 11: Take special care of twins, triplets and weak lambs. Make sure each lamb in a multiple birth gets its share of colostrum and milk. A ewe with triplets cannot usually feed them all, so consider fostering one onto another ewe, or bottle feeding with a suitable milk replacer. Fostering requires patience, and methods such as covering the lamb with the skin or smell of the ewe’s own dead lamb can help in some cases. Weak or small lambs need warmth, supervision and extra feeding.

Step 12: Keep the environment clean and dry. Replace wet or dirty bedding regularly. Keep the floor of the lambing pens dry and free from droppings. Maintain good ventilation, so air is fresh but not drafty at lamb level. Clean and disinfect jugs between ewes if possible. Wash your hands and equipment before handling newborns, to reduce the spread of infection.

Step 13: Watch for scours and signs of illness. Check lambs daily for diarrhea, a hunched posture, lack of interest in suckling, swollen joints, a swollen, hot navel, a distended belly or sudden weakness. Lambs with scours can dehydrate quickly, so call a veterinarian early, and provide oral rehydration solutions as advised. Isolate sick lambs to protect the others. Keep records of all treatments.

Step 14: Protect against predators and accidents. Secure the lambing area with proper fences and protection against dogs, foxes, birds of prey, stray animals and other predators common in your area. Check for hazards such as ditches, water troughs and gaps in fences where lambs could be trapped or drowned. Avoid overcrowding in shelters where lambs can be crushed.

Step 15: Investigate every loss and keep records. Note the date, age, birth type, weight if possible, ewe number, and what you observed about each dead lamb. If you can, have a veterinarian or laboratory perform a post-mortem on some dead lambs, especially if you have a cluster of deaths. Knowing whether lambs died from cold, starvation, infection, birth injury or something else guides your changes for next season.

Warning signs to act on immediately

A lamb that stands hunched, cold to touch, with a cold mouth, that will not suckle or has a hollow belly needs warmth and food urgently. A ewe that strains for a long time without progress needs help. A ewe that rejects or wanders away from her lamb needs immediate management. Lambs with diarrhea, swollen navels, swollen joints, or weakness need veterinary attention. A cluster of deaths or abortions in the flock calls for a veterinarian and laboratory investigation, because some causes spread quickly and can affect people.

What I would do differently if I were starting again today

I would plan lambing like a military operation, with the pens ready, the supplies counted and a rota for night checks, before the first ewe lambed. I would feed my ewes better in late pregnancy, and scan them so I knew which ones needed the most help. I would give the navels and the colostrum the same urgent attention as the birth itself, and I would learn to recognize a chilled lamb in seconds. I would keep a log of every lamb born and every lamb lost, and I would ask for a post-mortem the first time something looked unusual, instead of after the fifth death.

Lamb survival is decided in the first hours. The shepherd who is there, with a warm place, a full bottle and a clean cord, saves lambs that luck alone would lose.

FAQ

Why do newborn lambs die in the first few days?
The main causes are cold, starvation and failure to get colostrum, difficult births, infections through the navel or gut, and nutritional or mineral problems. Weak lambs from underfed ewes are especially at risk.

How soon should a lamb get colostrum?
As soon as possible, ideally within the first hour or two of life, and continuing through the first day. Colostrum provides energy and antibodies that protect against infection.

How do I warm a cold lamb?
Dry it thoroughly and warm it in a warming box, a warm room or under a heat lamp at a safe distance, then feed it once it is warm and active. Very cold or limp lambs may need veterinary help. Never feed a severely chilled lamb before warming it.

Should I treat the navel of newborn lambs?
Yes. Dip or spray the navel with iodine or a recommended navel treatment soon after birth to reduce the risk of infection such as navel ill and joint ill.

When should I help a ewe that is lambing?
If a ewe strains hard for about an hour without progress, or if the lamb is badly positioned and you cannot easily correct it, intervene gently with clean hands or call a veterinarian early. Do not wait until the ewe is exhausted.

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A lamb is saved or lost in its first hours, so be there with a warm place, a full belly and a clean cord.