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The effects of increased prolificacy on lamb and ewe mortality in an intensive hill sheep system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

A. Waterhouse ,
D. N. Logue  and
L. C. Roger
A. Waterhouse
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, Grassland and Ruminant Science Department, Kirkton and Auchtertyre Farms, Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RU
D. N. Logue
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, Grassland and Ruminant Science Department, Kirkton and Auchtertyre Farms, Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RU
L. C. Roger
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, Grassland and Ruminant Science Department, Kirkton and Auchtertyre Farms, Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RU
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Extract

Increased prolificacy is often believed to increase the incidence of both lamb and ewe mortality especially in harsher environments. Fecundin® (Coopers Pittman Moore) is a vaccine which leads to immunization against androstenedione and a resulting increase in prolificacy (Rhind, 1987). The use of this drug gives a method of manipulating prolificacy without confounding any effects with improved nutrition, the most usual means of modifying reproductive success.

A programme was commenced in 1985 in which half the ewes in a flock of Scottish Blackface ewes was vaccinated with Fecundin (F), the remainder left unvaccinated (N). In subsequent years ewes were maintained on the same treatment. The data presented here are an analysis of a single age group of ewes completing a full lifetime on each treatment. Eighty-five ewes were allocated at random to each treatment. These were vaccinated in autumn 1985, given a booster vaccination 4 weeks pre-ram joining in 1986, 1987 and 1988 and sold as ‘cast for age’ after lamb weaning in 1989. With the exception of injection with Fecundin, at all times management was independent of treatment.

Type
Abstracts of posters
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 15 , 1992 , pp. 176 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1992

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References

Geldard, H. 1985. Immunization: reproductive responses to Fecundin in sheep. Animal Production 40: 552–552 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Logue, D. N., Dickson, I. A., Waterhouse, A. and McClelland, T. H. 1985. The effect of Fecundin® upon the reproductive performance of ewes on commercial farms in south west Scotland — a preliminary communication. In Hill and upland livestock production (ed. Maxwell, T. J. and Gunn, R. G.) Occasional Publication, British Society of Animal Production, no. 10, pp 133–134.Google Scholar
Rhind, J. M. 1987. A note on the reproductive performance of ewes of different genotypes following active immunization against androstenedione. Animal Production 44: 326–329.Google Scholar