Hill country sheep production

Hight, G. K.; Jury, K. E.

doi:10.1080/00288233.1973.10421129

Cited by 13 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 27 publications

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“…Fleece weight has a positive association with live weight (Turner & Young 1969) and live weight is related to the level of fertility (Turner & Young 1969;Hight & Jury 1973). Mean live weight pre-mating and at weaning for ewes classified as dry, 1/1, and 2/2 for all breeds are shown in Table 4.…”

Section: Fleece Weight and Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Wool production of different breeds of mixed-age ewes on hill country

Bigham

Sumner

Dalton

1978

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Greasy fleece weight, staple length, quality number, character, and severity of staple unsoundness and cotting were recorded from Romney, Coopworth, Perendale, Cheviot, and Dorset-Romney ewes over 7 years. All breeds were grazed together except during mating. Romney had the heaviest fleece weight followed by Coopworth, Perendale, Dorset-Romney and Cheviot. Fleece weights increased to 3 or 4 years of age and declined to 5 years of age, Coopworth and Perendale showing the greatest decline. All breeds except Romney showed a decline in fleece weight associated with fertility status, dry ewes having the heavie:,t fleeces. Romney ewes rearing their own single lamb had higher fleece weights than dry ewes. The subjectively assessed fleece characteristics were not influenced by fertility status. Romney and Coopworth had a higher proportion of cotted fleeces than the other breeds and Cheviot had the highest proportion of fleeces with staple unsoundness. Increased staple unsoundness was associated with lower fleece weights for all breeds, but only Romney and Coopworth showed a decline in fleece weight with increased cotting.119

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Section: Fleece Weight and Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Wool production of different breeds of mixed-age ewes on hill country

Bigham

Sumner

Dalton

1978

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Seasonal reproductive performance of crossbred ewes in intensive lamb-production systems

Fogarty

Mulholland

2014

Anim. Prod. Sci.

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The lambing performance of 1179 crossbred ewes with 5540 joining records in three seasons (autumn, winter and spring) at two sites (Cowra and Wagga Wagga) was evaluated in three lamb-production systems (spring joining with autumn backup matings at both locations, with accelerated lambing at Cowra or annual autumn joining at Wagga Wagga) over 4 years. Two genotypes of ewes, Border Leicester × Merino (BLM) and Hyfer (Dorset × Merino composite), were used at both sites, with natural matings to Dorset, Suffolk or Hyfer rams. The following five traits were analysed separately at each site to evaluate ewe lambing performance: fertility, litter size, lambs born (per ewe joined), lambs weaned (per ewe joined) and weight of lamb weaned (per ewe joined). The mixed model included fixed effects for season of joining, ewe breed, ram group, ewe prejoining weight (spline) and their interactions, with ewe fitted as a random effect. The autumn (February) joinings had higher ewe fertility, litter size and overall lamb production than did joinings in spring (October and November), with winter (June) being intermediate. At the autumn joinings, the BLM ewes had higher fertility, lambs weaned and weight of lamb weaned than did the Hyfer ewes, although this was reversed at the spring joinings, causing significant season × ewe breed interactions. While litter size was larger in the autumn than in the spring for both breeds there was a much smaller seasonal effect among the Hyfer than BLM ewes. Prejoining ewe weight had a significant effect on all reproduction traits, with generally a curvilinear response with increasing weight. The interactions of weight with season × ewe breed were significant (P < 0.001) for all traits at Cowra and most traits at Wagga Wagga. Ram group was significant (P < 0.05) for most traits, with ewes joined to Hyfer rams having higher fertility than those joined to Suffolk. and with Dorset rams being intermediate. At Wagga Wagga, this was the case for spring joinings, but there was no difference between the ram groups in autumn, causing a significant ram × season interaction (P < 0.001). Ewe repeatability ranged from 0.15 to 0.25 for all traits. Using suitable breeds or genotypes, together with optimising management, could improve out-of-season lamb production.

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Hill country sheep production

Hightt

Jury

Langt

1976

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Data from 484 6-year-old ewes over the period 1969 to 1971 were used to study the effects of flock and vear on oestrous incidence and ovulation rate at first, third, and fifth oestrus. The sheep were from two straightbred Romney (RCR, RER) and first-cross (Ft>, secondcross (F2), and third-cross (F:J) Border Leicester X Romney flocks that had been grazed together from birth at the Whatawhata Hill Country Research Station. Oestrous activity extended from early March, the proportion of ewes showing oestrus increasing rapidly to a peak in late March, then declining after mid June. There were no differences between flocks in oestrous activity. Total ovulations observed over the first plus third oestruses were 2.5,2.6, 3.1,2.9, and 3.1, and over the first plus third plus fifth oestruses were 3.7, 3.9,4.6. 4.3, and 4.7 respectively for the RCR, RER, Fj , F2, and Fa flocks. These were related to the number of lambs born per lambing over the previous four lambings (2-to 5-year-old), and to pre-tupping live weights.

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Hill country sheep production

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

Wool production of different breeds of mixed-age ewes on hill country

Wool production of different breeds of mixed-age ewes on hill country

Seasonal reproductive performance of crossbred ewes in intensive lamb-production systems

Hill country sheep production

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