SummaryThe management of an experimental flock of dairy sheep was changed from a onceyearly to a frequent-lambing regime. Results are reported on the performance of the flock under the new regime in the course of 3 years. There were 53 and 160, 46 and 242, and 70 and 237 Awassi and Assaf (East-Friesian x Awassi) ewes, respectively, in the flock at the beginning of the 3 consecutive years. A breeding calendar was adopted to produce four mating seasons each year, namely June–July; September–October; December–January; March–April.Average annual production was 1·16 ± 0·24 lambs and 209±9 kg milk for Awassi ewes, and 2·07 ± 0·20 lambs and 287 ± 19 kg milk for Assaf ewes. Hoggets of the same breeds produced 0·61 ± 0·14 and 1·23 ± 0·10 lambs and 99 ± 37 and 220 ± 21 kg of milk, respectively.Following the February-March lambing, conception rates of hormone-treated ewes weaned 2 or 70 days post-partum were 57·1 and 48·8% respectively (P < 0·10). There were no differences in the length of the post-partum interval to conception between low and high milk-yielding ewes. Fertility was highest in the September–October and December–January mating periods, intermediate in June–July and lowest in March–April.Twenty-seven per cent of the original 126 mature Assaf ewes and 15% of the original 46 mature Awassis remained in the flock at the end of 3 years for further breeding. Thirty-one per cent of the mature Assaf population (mixed ages) and 21% of the hoggets were culled in the course of 3 years due to failure to conceive within 6 months post-partum. With Awassi ewes the rate of failure was much higher.Ewes which had lambed twice and completed, on average, 1·5 lactations in a year, produced 30% more milk per year than those which lambed only once during the same period. The more frequent lambing resulted in shorter lactations (156 days) and lower average daily milk yields (1·27 kg) compared with the 182 days and 1·41 kg in the less frequently lambing groups. Pregnancy during early stages of lactation had a small but significant (P < 0·05) effect on the concurrent lactation. Shortening the breeding interval had a much more marked effect on the subsequent lactation. Ewes that conceived, on average, 120 days post-partum, in the subsequent lactations produced 17% more milk than those conceiving 60 days post-partum (P <0·02).Ewes gaining weight at a rate of 5–7 kg during the first 2 months of pregnancy produced, on average, 0·27 kg less milk per day than those which either lost or maintained their weight in that period (P < 0·01).

SummaryTen Chios ewe hoggets and three rams were imported from Cyprus and their performance was compared with that of 49 Assaf (East Friesian X Awassi) contemporaries. Lambing rates (lambs/ewe/year) for the Chios and Assaf ewes in the first and second to fifth lambings were 1.89 and 1.42 (P < 0.01), and 2.10 and 1.69 (P < 0.03), respectively. Yearly milk yields were 206 ± 30 and 225 ± 16 ; not significant (NS) and 269 ± 31 and 345 ± 22 kg (P < 0.05), respectively. There were no significant differences between the two breeds in lambing interval and in lamb mortality.There were no significant differences between 47 Assaf and 35 Chios X Assaf (ChAs) ewes born in Israel for age at first lambing (435 and 428 days), percent of ewes lambing (96), lambing interval (280 and 293 days), mature body weight (80.5 and 77.4), lambs born/lambing (1.40 and 1.59 at first and 1.71 and 1.75 at 2nd to 5th lambings), lamb mortality (9.9 and 12.2 p. 100), or milk production per lactation (211 and 192 kg) in first lactation. Mean milk yields in 2nd to 5th lactation were 270 ± 18 and 219 ± 16 kg, respectively (P < 0.05).Chios lambs grew significantly slower compared with the Assaf and crossbred lambs. There were no significant differences between Assaf and crossbred lambs. Least squares mean slaughter yields (p. 100 of live weight) for Assaf and ChAs lambs were 47.6 and 47.4 (NS) for hot carcass, 1.36 and 2.03 (P < 0.002) for the tail and 3.55 and 3.78 (NS) for kidney + caul fat, respectively.Mean lung infection scores (scale : 0-4) after slaughter were 1.46 and 1.88 (NS) for Assaf and ChAs in autumn-born lambs, and 1.20, 2.88 and 2.10 (P < 0.05) for Chios, Assaf and ChAs lambs, respectively, born in the spring.

Background: Nurses are involved in all aspects of health, including reproductive health. They play a fundamental role in family planning and are often designated as point persons in family planning-related concerns. In order to provide effective counseling on family planning, the nurse must understand issues, practices, and prospects of family planning among married couples in their community. Objective: This exploratory multiple case study investigates family planning issues, practices, and prospects among couples in a municipality located in Southern Philippines. Methods: Ten married couples of varying characteristics were interviewed to elicit their perspectives on family planning practices. The data were analyzed using coding transcriptions and thematic analysis. Results: Five sub-themes emerged under the theme of Family Planning Issues: family planning as a burden; fear of side effects; peer-driven contraceptive choice; family planning as a social stigma; family planning as a sin. Two sub-themes emerged under the theme of Family Planning Practices: knowledge of family planning commodities; availability and acceptance of the contraceptive method. Finally, two sub-themes also emerged under the theme of Family Planning Prospects: family planning as a financially beneficial practice; prospects on family planning depend on husband’s acceptance. Conclusion: These sub-themes were also distinguished by their similarities and differences based on the four parameters identified, including age, sex, financial status, and educational attainment, which aided in the development of recommendations that could be implemented in the local community. The results of this study especially have a bearing on nurses and their role in the family planning process. Nurses play a fundamental role in guiding community members and families toward health and wellness. Thus, it is crucial for nurses to understand family planning issues underpinning their community so they can better exercise their role.