Lambs are young sheep and are strictly herbivores. Their entire physiology, from mouth structure to internal organs, is adapted to consume and process plant matter. Introducing animal protein goes against their natural biological programming and is detrimental to their complex digestive system.
The Ruminant Digestive System
Lambs are classified as ruminants, possessing a unique four-chambered stomach system built to handle the fibrous cell walls of plants, primarily cellulose. The first and largest compartment is the rumen, which acts as a massive fermentation vat.
The rumen houses billions of symbiotic microorganisms, including bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. These microbes produce the enzymes necessary to break down cellulose, a process mammals cannot perform alone.
Feed material moves sequentially through the reticulum, which filters larger particles, and the omasum, where water and some nutrients are absorbed. The final chamber, the abomasum, is the “true stomach” where digestive acids and enzymes work on the partially digested food. This system is finely tuned for extracting energy from plant fiber, making meat entirely unsuitable for microbial breakdown.
The Natural Diet of a Lamb
A lamb’s diet starts with colostrum, the nutrient-rich first milk produced by the ewe, which transfers essential antibodies for early immune defense. For the first several weeks, the lamb relies on its mother’s milk for primary sustenance.
Within a few days of birth, lambs naturally begin nibbling on solid feed like hay or grass. This early consumption of roughage is crucial for stimulating the development of the dormant rumen. Producers often provide a highly digestible, high-protein grain mixture, known as creep feed, to encourage this development before weaning.
Weaning, the transition from milk to solid feed, generally occurs between six and twelve weeks old. After weaning, the diet becomes completely plant-based, consisting of pasture, hay, or other forages.
Why Feeding Meat to Lambs is Dangerous
Feeding any form of mammalian protein to a lamb or other ruminant carries severe health risks, leading to strict global regulations prohibiting the practice. The primary danger involves Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), a group of fatal neurological diseases caused by misfolded proteins called prions.
TSEs include Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or “Mad Cow Disease,” and Scrapie in sheep. The BSE crisis demonstrated that ruminants contract these diseases when fed an unnatural diet, specifically Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) containing the remains of other animals.
In response, regulatory bodies worldwide implemented Ruminant Feed Bans. These laws prohibit feeding Restricted Animal Material (RAM), such as rendered mammalian protein, back to ruminants like sheep, cattle, and goats. The ban minimizes the risk of TSE transmission and maintains the safety of the food supply by enforcing the natural herbivorous diet.