Sheep farmers are being urged to take part in an industry-wide lambing survey this spring to help build a clearer picture of the challenges facing the sector, from disease threats and vaccine supply issues to unpredictable weather and other emerging pressures.
The UK Lambing Survey 2026 is being led by the University of Nottingham and Fiona Lovatt of Flock Health Ltd, who also chairs the Sheep Antibiotic Guardian Group (SAGG).
Dr Lovatt is encouraging sheep producers to complete the survey, stressing the importance of gathering accurate information from farms across the UK.
She said: “There isn’t a time in a sheep farmer’s calendar more stressful than the lambing season and, in recent years, the stakes have been elevated due to the additional jeopardy of both Schmallenberg and Bluetongue viruses, challenging vaccine supplies, unpredictable weather conditions and increasing scrutiny of what, for some, had become routine lambing-time practices.
“The UK sheep industry has a good reputation for responsible medicine stewardship, good practice and high welfare standards, which it is keen to both maintain and defend. For this to happen, it is essential to gather baseline data on what takes place ‘on the ground’ or ‘in the lambing shed’.”
The UK Lambing Survey 2026 is supported by organisations from across the sheep industry. The survey takes around 12 minutes to complete. All responses will remain completely anonymous, with no farmer or farm names, or precise locations, identifiable from the answers.
Shepherds managing separate flocks with different tupping dates are encouraged to complete a separate survey for each flock, as soon as possible after the last ewe has lambed.
Aggregated findings from the survey will be made publicly available and will be used to directly inform the sheep section of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Targets Task Force report.
The wider results will also build on data collected, analysed and published by researchers at the University of Nottingham in 2012, 2017 and 2024, all years in which UK farmers faced severe losses due to Schmallenberg virus.
The survey can be completing using the following link https://bit.ly/lambingsurvey2026.
The survey will close on 15th June 2026.
- With acknowledgements to the following organisations who are partnering with the UK Lambing Survey 2026:
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd
- Flock Health Ltd
- National Farmers Union
- National Sheep Association
- MSD Animal Health
- NoBACZ Healthcare
- RCVS Knowledge
- RUMA Agriculture
- Ruminant Health and Welfare Group
- Sheep Antibiotic Guardian Group
- Sheep Veterinary Society
- University of Nottingham
- Zoetis UK Ltd