Stillbirths in large litters reduced with vitamin E

When ewes have 3 or more lambs, vitamin E supplementation is recommended as Norwegian research showed that this vitamin reduces the rate of stillbirths. Triplet and higher order litters are associated with increased risk of stillbirths and neonatal mortality. At the same time, average litter size at birth of the Norwegian White Sheep has increased from 1.9 to 2.2 from 2000 to 2013. Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is one of the factors that may influence the survival of the lambs. A group of