Fostering is a process used by sheep farmers for the rearing of abandoned lambs or in the
incidence of triplets, providing the surplus lamb a surrogate ewe. Historically, research has
assessed the varying success rates of different fostering methods and evaluated them using
the latency to accept the alien lamb. There are no current studies on the frequency of use
of the different methods, nor the farmers’ perception of the effects of the methods on ewe
behaviour and welfare. The aim of the survey was to identify which fostering methods are
currently in use in the UK and to gain an insight into farmers’ attitudes towards them, in
relation to the ewe’s behaviour and welfare. Data were collected using paper and online
questionnaires that were distributed with the help of stakeholders such as the English Beef
and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) and at events such as the Royal Show and the NSA Sheep event.
Seventy five farmers responded and results showed that they used birth fluids and restraint
more often than other methods. Farmers believed that restraint methods can have negative
welfare implications as determined by the ewe’s behaviour and the lamb growth rate. There
was also a significant relationship between the foster method and breed type. The farmers
also suggested that the birth fluid method was preferred by the animals compared to all of
the other methods as it was less disruptive and restricting to the ewes. Exploratory Factor
Analysis identified two main factors influencing the farmers’ choice of foster methods;
these were the ‘ewes health and welfare’ and ‘the farmers previous knowledge and success
of the method’. The former had a significantly greater influence than the latter signifying
that farmers are concerned for the animal’s welfare during this process. Overall, farmers
acknowledged that the selection of the appropriate foster method is a means to increase
lamb productivity which can influence their return. They also recognised that the display
of positive or negative ewe behaviours plays a vital role in the selection process of the
fostering technique.