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A comparison of the frequency of lambing on the reproductive performance of finn dorset ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

C.M. Minter
C.M. Minter*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Science, Harper Adams Agricultural College, Newport, Shropshire. TF10 8NB
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Extract

One of the major factors affecting the efficiency and profitability of sheep production is the number of lambs reared per ewe. In 1991 lambs reared per ewe accounted for 14% of the difference in gross margin per hectare between top third and average lowland spring lambing flocks (MLC, 1992). The hypothesis was developed that in managing the prolific ewe three possible management systems could be employed; frequent lambing (FL), early annual lambing (EAL), or late annual lambing (LAL). The choice of these lambing systems was based on minimising the problems of the prolific ewe. Of these systems FL (lambing on an eight month cycle), provided the best opportuity for achieving high numbers of lambs sold per ewe.

Type
Reproduction
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1993: Winter meeting , March 1993 , pp. 90
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1993

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References

Meat and Livestock Commission (1992) Sheep Year Book, Bletchley: Meat and Livestock Commission Google Scholar
Speedy, A.W. and Fitzsimmons, J. (1977) The reproductive performance of Finnish Landrace cross Dorset Horn and Border Leicester x Scottish Blackface ewes mated three times in two years. Anim. Prod. 24, 189–196 Google Scholar
Tempest, W.M. (1983). Management of the freguent lambing flock. In: Haresign, W. ed. Sheep Production Boston, Durban, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, Wellington: Butterworths pp 467–481.Google Scholar