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Using computerised tomography to assess pelvic dimensions linked to dystocia and maternal behaviour score in Scottish-Blackface ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

E. Bilbe
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, SAC, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PH, U.K.
J. Conington*
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, SAC, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PH, U.K.
K. McLean
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, SAC, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PH, U.K.
N. Lambe
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, SAC, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PH, U.K.
L. Bünger
Affiliation:
Sustainable Livestock Systems, SAC, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PH, U.K.
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Extract

Recent CAP reforms for the sheep sector are likely to partially shift the emphasis from intensive to lower input, ‘easy care’ husbandry systems. The ability of sheep to lamb unaided would be crucial to the success of these systems. Dystocia is the most common cause of parturient lamb mortality, and pelvic dimensions are important factors in causing dystocia in ewes (Quinlivan, 1971). This study uses pelvimetry, based on both external and in vivo measures obtained by computed tomography (CT), to undertake preliminary studies on the associations among the incidence of dystocia, and other factors including maternal behaviour score (MBS) (Lambe et al., 2001).

Type
Poster Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2005

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References

Lambe, N. R., Conington, J. Bishop, S. C., Waterhouse, A. and Simm, G. 2001. A Genetic Analysis of maternal behaviour score in Scottish Blackface sheep. Animal Science. 72, 415425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quinlivan, T. D. 1971. Dystocia in sheep: preliminary observations on within- and between-breed differences in various skeletal measurements. New Zealand Veterinary Journal. 19, 7377.Google Scholar