An investigation into high lamb mortality in a Scottish sheep flock

Neonatal lamb mortality has a profoundly negative impact on animal welfare and represents significant waste to farming businesses. This case report outlines an approach to addressing high neonatal lamb mortality in a commercial lowland sheep flock. The merit of this case report lies in its holistic, data‐driven approach, grounded in the realities and practicalities of farm practice. Forty percent of colostrum samples were classed as poor quality, and there was an observed trend of decreasing ewe body condition scores throughout the production cycle. Poor ewe colostrum quality was significantly associated with poor serum IgG in the corresponding lambs (p < 0.01). Eighteen percent of the 2024 lamb crop suffered from a failure of transfer of passive immunity. The hygiene of feeding equipment and stored colostrum was also poor—80% of colostrum samples collected from colostrum feeding equipment exceeded the acceptable threshold for total bacterial count (of 100,000 CFU/mL).