Licking and grooming immediately after birth strengthen the bond and stimulate maternal hormones like oxytocin.
4. Hormonal response
Parturition triggers hormonal changes that increase maternal attachment and protective behavior.
When a lamb dies, this entire bonding system is disrupted. The ewe’s internal biological expectation—caregiving—remains active, but the object of that care is gone.
This mismatch between instinct and reality is what produces the distress behavior farmers observe.
The Role of the Farmer: Managing Both Welfare and Survival
In livestock farming, the immediate response to a stillborn lamb involves both emotional sensitivity and practical decision-making.
Farmers must:
- Remove the stillborn to prevent health risks
- Monitor the ewe for complications
- Assess whether she is producing milk
- Determine whether she can be introduced to another lamb
This last step is where experience and timing matter significantly.
Because the maternal instinct remains active for a short window after birth, farmers sometimes attempt a process known as “fostering” or “adoption.”
Fostering: When One Mother Raises Another’s Lamb
Fostering is a common practice in sheep farming, especially in situations where:
- A ewe has lost her lamb
- Another ewe has multiple lambs and cannot adequately feed them all
- A lamb has been rejected by its biological mother
- Milk supply or maternal health issues require redistribution
The goal is simple: ensure lamb survival by matching a lamb in need with a ewe capable of raising it.
But the process is not automatic. Sheep are selective, and adoption requires careful handling to overcome scent recognition barriers.
Farmers may use techniques such as:
- Skin grafting (placing a dead lamb’s skin over an orphan to transfer scent)
- Scent masking using birthing fluids
- Temporary confinement to encourage bonding
- Gradual introduction and supervision
Even with intervention, success is not guaranteed. Adoption depends heavily on timing, temperament, and maternal instinct.
