Eighty percent of lamb deaths in Australia happen in the first 72 hours of life (Shelter and Shade for Grazing Sheep). The whole season’s outcomes are decided in only three days. And if you think you know your flock’s mortality rate, the data says there’s a good chance you’re underestimating it by half.
This gap matters more than ever. With the national sheep flock forecast to fall 2.7% in June 2026, and southern flocks shrinking under drought conditions since 2023 in parts of NSW, TAS, SA and VIC (Meat & Livestock Australia), every lamb lost this season is one the flock can’t easily replace.
Farmers don’t need another explanation of what went wrong last winter. They need to know what is driving these losses, and what’s within their control before the next lambing season starts.
What’s causing lamb mortality in Australian flocks?
If you sat down and asked most farmers why they lost lambs this year, the answer is usually, “the weather turned”. But pull the data apart and a different story shows up.
The research shows that better nutrition and a higher body condition score will improve the ewe-lamb bond and significantly reduce the chances of mismothering of the lambs. With mismothering being the biggest single killer of lambs within the first 72 hours of their lives, this is critical for the success of the lambing season.
A ewe in poor condition isn’t just thinner; she is also less likely to settle, bond and let a new lamb get its first feed of colostrum, which provides the lamb with the antibodies and energy they require for survival.
The body condition value isn’t just a number on a piece of paper; it reflects the likelihood of a strong lambing season. This is shown in the example from the Western Plains group trial in Victoria, where twin-bearing ewes in higher body condition produced 29% more lambs than those in lower condition. And this is exactly why feeding infrastructure plays a critical part on your farm.
Reducing lamb mortality through smarter paddock design
Most farmers already know that a ewe needs to hold condition and be able to access food and water, without straying too far from her lambs. The real gap here is the ewe’s access to food and water, and how easily she can reach the feeding infrastructure that is supposed to support her.
Placement of permanent troughs is important in the paddock to ensure the maximum utilisation rate. When utilising dams or installing a trough in areas that are too far away for the ewe to access during lambing season, the lambs will be at risk from mismothering.
A purpose-built concrete trough, such as the Lambaghini sheep trough, works as either an in-paddock or feedlot solution. Installed in the right location, it gives the ewe access throughout the lambing season and reduces the amount of dust from the ground that could otherwise end up in her drinking water. That also reduces the likelihood of ewes straying from their lambs in search of fresh water.
This same principle can be applied to feed placement. The closer the feed is, there will be a reduction in the distance and separation between the ewe and her lambs. This can be overcome with the installation of an open feed bunk, such as the Lamblot.
Trough design also comes into play, especially in ways that are not as obvious until lambing season goes wrong. A trough poured as a single piece of concrete, with a smooth internal finish, stops water permeating and fouling. This design keeps the water clean enough for the ewes to drink from.
If the water isn’t clean, the ewes will avoid the water available to them and wander off from their lambs in search of good quality drinking water. Clean water is important to keep the mob settled and close to their newborn lambs.
Investing in trough infrastructure before lambing season
A trough isn’t a contingency. It’s how the nutrition plan on paper actually reaches the ewe. Farmers with purpose-built concrete troughs installed, like the 8ft Lambinator, aren’t just purchasing another piece of farm infrastructure. They are closing the gap between a nutrition plan on paper and the condition score for the ewe.
A ewe that holds her condition survives better, mothers better, and rears a heavier lamb. Holding that condition depends on reliable access to feed and clean water. This is a paddock design problem, and the paddock design is one of the few variables in lambing season that the farmer can control.
We know paddock infrastructure isn’t always treated as the priority; however, a trough sitting in the wrong place, or having a ewe that does not trust it enough to drink from, can undo months of careful condition scoring.
Before the next lambing season, walk your paddocks and ask one question of every trough: is this exactly where a ewe needs it to be, and is it in good enough condition to earn her trust? If the answer’s no on either count, that’s the fix to make first.
For more information, contact Conron on 1300 084 698 or browse the full concrete trough range.
