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The seasonality of reproductive performance of Merino sheep in Britain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

W. M. Tempest  and
T. G. Boaz
W. M. Tempest
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds
T. G. Boaz
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds
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Summary

A study has been carried out to determine the length of the breeding season and the feasibility of lambing twice a year in Merino sheep in Britain.

Six groups of 18 ewes were exposed to rams at monthly intervals, and twice per year, from April 1969 to June 1970. A well-defined breeding season, from August to January, was found, and its shortness, linked with the inability of the ewes to conceive immediately post partum, prevented lambing twice in the year.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , August 1973 , pp. 33 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1973

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References

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