Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T21:08:20.313Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Breed variation in lambing performance and lamb mortality in commercial sheep flocks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Gerald Wiener ,
F. K. Deeble ,
J. S. Broadbent  and
M. Talbot
Gerald Wiener
Affiliation:
ARC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
F. K. Deeble
Affiliation:
Agricultural Development and Advisory Services, Reading, RG1 6DT, Berkshire
J. S. Broadbent
Affiliation:
Thornbers (Agriculture) Limited, Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire
M. Talbot
Affiliation:
ARC Unit of Statistics, Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh EH8 9LN
Get access

Summary

Two surveys were conducted on commercial farms in England, Wales and Scotland to ascertain whether breeding contributed to variation in the number of lambs born per ewe, in lamb mortality and in the number of lambs remaining to be weaned per ewe. Each flock comprised two or more breed groups, but within flocks differences in breed were often quite small.

In one survey of 74 flocks (average size 198 ewes, comprising 175 breed groups) the lambing percentage averaged around 150% and the lamb deaths to weaning (including stillbirths) around 9%. Within flocks there were statistically significant differences in the number of lambs born and weaned per ewe attributable to the breed of lamb and of its dam and sire. Crossbreeding was associated with a higher weaning percentage. Lamb mortality differed significantly among breeds and crosses of lamb. Lambing performance varied with type of farm.

The second survey was a comparison of different crossbred types of dam, themselves the offspring of three breeds of sire and seven of ewe. Thirty flocks participated, providing 29 sets of records for 1-yearold females producing on average 120% lambs and losing through death (including stillbirths) 25 % of lambs born, and 10 sets at 2 years old, with 176 lambs per 100 ewes lambing and 11 % of the lambs born dying before 8 weeks old. Variation attributable to the crossbred type of the dam and to the breed of the dam's sire was significant for lambing and weaning percentage and the incidence of lamb mortality.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 17 , Issue 3 , December 1973 , pp. 229 - 243
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Crocker, K. P. 1968. Lamb mortality on agricultural research stations. J. agric. W. Aust. 9 (Series 4): 51–55.Google Scholar
Donald, H. P., Read, J. L. and Russell, W. S. 1963. Heterosis in crossbred hill sheep. AnimProd. 5:289–299.Google Scholar
Donald, H. P., Read, J. L. and Russell, W. S. 1968. A comparative trial of crossbred ewes by Finnish Landrace and other sires. Anim. Prod. 10: 413–421.Google Scholar
Gordon, I. 1967. Aspects of reproduction and neonatal mortality in ewe lambs and adult sheep. J. Dep. Agric. Repub. Ire. 64: 76–127.Google Scholar
Gunn, R. G. and Robinson, J. F. 1963. Lamb mortality in Scottish hill flocks. Anim. Prod. 5: 67–76.Google Scholar
Hight, G. K. and Jury, K. E. 1969. Lamb mortality in hill country flocks. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 29: 219–232.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1972. Sheep Improvement—Scientific Study Group Report. Meat and Livestock Commission, Bletchley.Google Scholar
Patterson, H. D. 1971. Multiple regression and the analysis of experiments. Bull. Int. Statist. Inst. 43: 172–174.Google Scholar
Purser, A. F. and Young, G. B. 1959. Lamb survival in two hill flocks. Anim. Prod. 1: 85–91.Google Scholar
Shelton, M. 1964. Relation of birth weight to death losses and to certain productive characters of fall-born lambs. J. Anim. Sci. 23: 355–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Venkatachalam, G., Nelson, R. H., Thorp, F. Jr., Luecke, R. W. and Gray, M. L. 1949. Cause and certain factors affecting lamb mortality. J. Anim. Sci. 8: 392–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vetter, R. L., Norton, H. W. and Garrigus, U. S. 1960. A study of pre-weaning death losses in lambs. J. Anim. Sci. 19: 616–619.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiener, G. 1966. Genetic and other factors in the occurrence of swayback in sheep. J. comp. Path. 76: 435–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wiener, G. 1967. A comparison of the body size, fleece weight and maternal performance of five breeds of sheep kept in one environment. Anim. Prod. 9: 177–195.Google Scholar