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Effect of body condition and breeding history on the reproductive performance of twenty month old female breeding sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

Linda M Mitchell  and
Margaret E King
Linda M Mitchell
Affiliation:
The Scottish Agricultural College581 King Street Aberdeen AB9 1UD
Margaret E King
Affiliation:
The Scottish Agricultural College581 King Street Aberdeen AB9 1UD
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Extract

Ovulation rate in the ewe is positively related to body condition score (Gunn, Doney and Smith, 1979). For optimum performance it has been recommended that ewes should be in body condition score 3.5 at mating (MLC. 1981). However excessive fatness (body condition score 3.5 and above) has been associated with a reduction in lambing performance as a consequence of increased embryo mortality (Rhind, Gunn, Doney and Leslie. 1984).

Previous studies at the Scottish Agricultural College-Aberdeen (King and Mitchell. 1990) have demonstrated superior reproductive performance for twenty month old female breeding sheep (gimmers) which have bred successfully as ewe lambs. The objective of the present study was to investigate the combined effect of body condition and breeding history (bred or unbred at eight months of age) on fecundity.

Type
Reproduction
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1993: Winter meeting , March 1993 , pp. 92
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1993

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References

Gunn, R.G., Doney, J.M. and Smith, W.F. (1979). The effect of time of mating on ovnlalion rate and potential lambing rate of Greyface ewes. Animal Production 29. 277–282.Google Scholar
King, M.E. and Mitchell, L.M. (1990). Comparative performance of Mule ewes hred al 6 or 18 months of age. In New Developments in Sheep Production. Occasional Publication of the British Society of Animal Production. No. 14.Google Scholar
Meal and Livesiock Commission (1981). Feeding the Ewe. Sheep Improvement Services. Meat and Livestock Commission, Winterhill House. Snowdon Drive. Millou Keynes. MK6 1AX.Google Scholar
Rhind, S.M.. Gunn, R.G.. Doney, J.M. and Leslie, I. D. (1984). A note on the reproductive performance of Greyface ewes in moderately fat and very fat condition at mating. Animal Production. 30. 305–307 Google Scholar