The Effect of Age of Dam and Birth Rank on the Reproductive Performance of Ewes as One- and Two-Year-Olds

Emma J. Pettigrew; Rebecca E. Hickson; Steve T. Morris; Paul R. Kenyon; Rene A. Corner-Thomas; Emmanuelle Haslin; Hugh T. Blair

doi:10.3390/ani11030770

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The Effect of Age of Dam and Birth Rank on the Reproductive Performance of Ewes as One- and Two-Year-Olds

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

The Effect of Age of Dam and Birth Rank on the Reproductive Performance of Ewes as One- and Two-Year-Olds

Emma J. Pettigrew, Rebecca E. Hickson, Steve T. Morris, Paul R. Kenyon, Rene A. Corner-Thomas, Emmanuelle Haslin and Hugh T. Blair

Animals (Basel), Vol.11(3), 770

2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030770

PMID: 33802052

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Abstract

ewe lamb

breeding

reproduction

mature ewe

dam age

birth rank

Currently, 30–43% of New Zealand sheep farmers breed their ewe lambs, but few retain the offspring as replacements for their flock. No difference in lamb production as a yearling among singletons and twins born to ewe lambs and twins born to mature ewes has been reported, provided the ewe lambs had reached the 60–65% of their likely mature weight prior to breeding at seven to eight months of age. The aim of this experiment was to determine the lamb production from singletons and twins born to ewe lambs and twins born to mature ewes during their first two years of lambing. The experiment included 8-month-old ewes born as twins to mature ewes (M2, n = 135), singletons born to ewe lambs (L1, n = 135), and twins born to ewe lambs (L2, n = 88), bred during the same period to the same rams, over two years. The efficiency of lamb production (total litter weight at weaning divided by the pre-breeding weight of the ewe, for all ewes presented for breeding) after two years of production was not significantly different (p > 0.05) among the groups (0.40 ± 0.02, 0.39 ± 0.02, and 0.39 ± 0.03, for M2, L1, and L2, respectively).

Details

Title: The Effect of Age of Dam and Birth Rank on the Reproductive Performance of Ewes as One- and Two-Year-Olds
Authors/Creators: Emma J. Pettigrew - Massey University
Rebecca E. Hickson - Massey University
Steve T. Morris
Paul R. Kenyon - Massey University
Rene A. Corner-Thomas - Massey University
Emmanuelle Haslin - Massey University
Hugh T. Blair - Massey University
Publication Details: Animals (Basel), Vol.11(3), 770
Publisher: MDPI; BASEL
Number of pages: 15
Identifiers: 991005831943307891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Agricultural Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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#12 Responsible Consumption & Production

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Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.51 Dairy & Animal Sciences; 3.51.115 Livestock Reproduction
Web Of Science research areas: Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science; Veterinary Sciences; Zoology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science