Pneumonia in Lambs and Kids: Signs, Causes and Prevention

Pneumonia in lambs and kids is an infection of the lungs, usually caused by bacteria such as Mannheimia and Pasteurella, often after viruses, Mycoplasma or stress weaken the airways. Signs include fever, fast or laboured breathing, cough, nasal discharge and loss of appetite; some young animals are simply found dead. Prevention depends on colostrum, good ventilation without draughts, less crowding and stress, and vaccination as advised by your vet. Treatment must be prescribed by the vet early.

Respiratory disease is one of the most common causes of death and poor growth in young small ruminants. It rarely has a single cause. It is the result of germs that are almost always present meeting animals whose defences are lowered by cold nights, dust, ammonia, transport, weaning or a poor start in life.

Why young animals get pneumonia

Think of pneumonia as germs plus stress. The bacteria that cause most cases live normally in the nose and throat of healthy sheep and goats. They become dangerous when something damages the airways or weakens immunity:

• Poor colostrum intake in the first hours of life, leaving the newborn without antibodies.
• Poor ventilation: closed barns with ammonia from urine and manure, high humidity and stale air.
• Draughts and temperature swings: hot days followed by cold nights, common in desert and Sahel climates, or cold wind blowing directly on young animals at floor level.
• Dust from dry feed, bedding and sandy pens.
• Crowding and mixing animals from different sources and ages.
• Stress events: weaning, transport, castration, tagging, sudden feed changes and market visits.
• Other diseases such as PPR, which damages the lungs and opens the way for bacteria.

In goats, a specific and severe disease called contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is caused by a Mycoplasma and spreads quickly between goats. It is a notifiable disease in many countries, so a sudden outbreak of severe pneumonia in goats must be reported to your vet.

Signs to watch for

Early detection makes a big difference. Check young stock at least once a day for:

1. Dullness: standing apart, head low, ears drooping, not joining feeding.
2. Not suckling or eating, empty flanks.
3. Fast or laboured breathing, sometimes with the mouth open or flanks heaving, even at rest in cool hours.
4. Fever: a thermometer reading is the most reliable early sign; ask your vet what normal temperature is for your animals.
5. Cough, especially when animals get up or are moved.
6. Nasal discharge, clear at first, then thick.
7. Sudden death in very young or fast-growing animals, sometimes without earlier signs.

Because pneumonia can follow other diseases, compare the signs with PPR in sheep and goats. The vet can examine sick or dead animals and take samples to identify the cause.

Prevention: the five pillars

1. Colostrum first. Every newborn should suckle colostrum within the first hours of life. Check that weak lambs, twins, triplets and kids from first-time mothers actually drink. Well-fed and properly vaccinated dams produce better colostrum; see our guide on feeding pregnant and lactating ewes.

2. Ventilation without draughts. Fresh air should move above the animals, not blow across them at floor level. If you smell ammonia when you crouch down to lamb height, the air is too bad. Open high vents or roof gaps, keep low walls or windbreaks for young stock, and avoid sealing barns at night.

3. Dry, clean bedding. Remove wet manure regularly. Dampness and ammonia damage the airways long before signs appear.

4. Less crowding and less stress. Give enough space per animal, keep young stock separate from older animals, avoid mixing groups from different sources, and spread stress events: do not wean, transport and castrate in the same week.

5. Vaccination where advised. Vaccines against Pasteurella and Mannheimia are used in many areas, and CCPP vaccines exist in some countries. Whether to use them, and when, must follow your local vet and ministry schedule. Our sheep and goat vaccination schedule shows how they fit into the yearly calendar.

What to do when you see a sick lamb or kid

1. Separate the animal into a sheltered, dry, draught-free pen with water and feed within reach.
2. Call the vet early. Pneumonia responds much better when treated in the first stage. Treatment, including any antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, must be prescribed by the vet; do not guess products or doses.
3. Check the rest of the group: count breathing rates, look for others not eating.
4. Look for the trigger: recent transport, weaning, a cold night, a closed barn, a new batch of animals.
5. Respect withdrawal periods of any medicine before selling or slaughtering.
6. Ask for a post-mortem if animals die, especially if several are affected.

Using records to stop repeat outbreaks

Pneumonia tends to return in the same season, the same barn and the same type of animals. Records reveal the pattern: which pens, which months, which ages, and whether lambs that were weak at birth or missed colostrum are the ones that fall sick.

In Throf you can record births with twins and triplets, link each lamb or kid to its mother, and log illnesses and treatments on each animal. Sick animals can be placed in isolation status so the team sees them immediately, and reminders help you follow the vet's treatment plan and vaccination dates. Weight records show which animals fell behind after an illness, so you can decide early whether to keep them for breeding or move them to fattening and sale.

The short version

Pneumonia in lambs and kids comes from everyday germs plus stress. Make sure every newborn gets colostrum, ventilate without draughts, keep bedding dry, avoid crowding and stacked stress events, vaccinate as your vet advises, and call the vet at the first signs. Good records show you where the problem keeps starting.