Lambs paw the ground primarily as a natural nesting behavior when their mother, the ewe, is preparing to give birth, creating a comfortable spot for the newborn, but it can also signal discomfort, pain, or seeking milk from the mother's udder, so the behavior's context (restlessness, nesting, nursing) is key to understanding the reason.
As active labor approaches the ewe will usually become restless and may separate herself from the flock. She will begin to pace in an area and paw at the ground to make the area comfortable for her (in the photo below you can see Kathleen has moved to the back of the stall, away from where Izzy and Luna are lying).
An easy-to-use visual sign that sheep are becoming heat stressed is a change in the way they are breathing. This is because 65% of the heat loss in sheep occurs by panting. The degree to which sheep are panting is an important indicator of the extent to which they are suffering from heat stress (see Figure 6):
Delayed WMD (or stiff lamb disease)
Affected lambs lie on their chest then roll onto their side and die within a few days. The disease occasionally affects the muscles of the limbs and the heart, showing up as white patches or flecks in affected muscles. In early cases the muscle is pale, like fish flesh.
When ewes are close to giving birth, a lot of changes start happening to signal labor. The vulva swells up and dilates. The tail gets stiff and bent at a strange angle, and the ewe will often start pawing the ground and not eat.
Her vulva will be dilated. She will appear a bit hollow just in front of her hips, and she'll be not as wide and full over the rump, because the musculature there will have relaxed.
Look for a pattern of contractions that gets closer together over time. Labor contractions generally are 2 to 5 minutes apart. Braxton Hicks contractions may come and go without a pattern.
Diarrhoea is seen in severe cases. Swayback is seen in lambs born to copper-deficient sheep. This is a progressive hindlimb weakness due to damage to the spinal cord during foetal development. Copper should not be supplemented to sheep unless a deficiency has been diagnosed due to the high risk of toxicity.
Unless a copper deficiency has been identified, it is recommended that sheep not consume minerals or other supplements that have added copper.
Signs of salt deficiency in livestock include licking stones or other objects and ingesting soil, while symptoms of salt poisoning include nervousness, diarrhoea, blindness, and, in extreme cases, death.
Fig 6: Early first stage labour - there are periods of increased activity with abdominal contractions lasting 15-30 seconds. There are various behavioural changes including the ewe frequently does not come to the feed trough or leaves early before other sheep in the group.
Sheep, like humans, mostly sleep at night. Social – Sheep are highly social animals and find it stressful to be isolated from their flock, which can happen through incidents such as sheep worrying.
Clinical signs of acute lamb dysentery caused by Cl perfringens Type C include lambs that stop nursing, become listless, produce blood tinged diarrhea, and die within a few days. Many times, the lamb dies prior to exhibiting clinical signs of the disease.
Here's what pawing can mean: 🔹 Frustration or anxiety — especially if tied or waiting 🔹 Boredom — they're looking for stimulation 🔹 Discomfort or pain — trying to release tension 🔹 Anticipation — especially around feeding time or routine Instead of just correcting the behavior, ask: 👉 What is my horse feeling?
Clinical Signs of Hypomagnesaemia
They will often collapse and become sensitive to touch. They frequently show trembling, and when they are stressed they will rapidly become recumbent with legs extended and exhibit involuntary contraction of muscle (tetanic spasms).
Clinical Signs
Alfalfa
Two common causes of sudden death include clostridial infections and pasteurella diseases. Investigate any cases of sudden death with your vet promptly to reduce further losses. Post-mortem examination can be a useful tool.
Vitamin B12 deficiency in sheep can cause a number of clinical signs including loss of appetite, decreased growth rates, weight loss, watery ocular discharge and anaemia. These signs can occur despite an abundance of available pasture.
Calcium Deficiency
Lack of free choice calcium mineral. Clinical Sign: Weakness, inappetance, muscle tremors, inability to rise.
Note yellow coloured skin. The diagnosis of copper poisoning is based on the housing and feeding history, clinical signs and post-mortem findings of a pale tan to bronze-coloured liver and dark red or black kidneys. The diagnosis can be confirmed by laboratory identification of high kidney copper concentrations.
In recent years, the use of supplementary vitamin B12 in sheep to improve fertility and weight gain has increased. This use has extended to areas that do not have cobalt deficient soils and where deficiency of vitamin B12 in sheep is not suspected such as the Wagga Wagga LHPA district.
The 3-2-1 contraction rule is a guideline for first-time mothers (primigravidas) to know when to call their midwife or head to the hospital: consistent contractions that are 3 minutes apart, lasting 2 minutes long, for over 1 hour (or sometimes specified as 3-2-1= 3 mins apart, 2 mins long for 1 hour, or 3-2-1 rule = every 3 mins for 2 hours that are over 1 min long). This indicates active labor, marking a shift from early labor, though other rules like the 5-1-1 (5 mins apart, 1 min long, for 1 hour) are also common, especially for subsequent pregnancies.
The "5-5-5 rule" in a labor/postpartum context is a guideline for new mothers to prioritize rest and recovery in the first 15 days after childbirth, suggesting 5 days in bed, followed by 5 days on the bed (minimal movement), and then 5 days near the bed (gentle movement around the home). This promotes healing, bonding, and reduces stress, though it's a flexible guide, not a strict mandate, with some experts suggesting early movement can help prevent blood clots, making a modified approach ideal.
The signs of labor will vary for every pregnant person; some symptoms may be more subtle than others. Some early signs of early labor include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased bowel movements, lower back pain, cervical dilation and effacement and the loss of the mucus plug.