The effect of different planes of nutrition before mating on the reproductive performance of Masham ewes.
A total of 69 ewes were fed either on a low nutritional plane for six weeks prior to mating and for four weeks postmating (LL), or on a low nutritional plane for three weeks and then on a high nutritional plane (LH), or on a high nutritional plane throughout (HH). Ewes at mating were 49.3, 63.7 and 70.6 kg liveweight respectively and their body condition scores were 1.6, 2.9 and 3.8. There was a significant difference in ovulation rate: LL = 1.53, LH = 2.13 and HH = 2.27, and in lambing per cent: 77, 150 and 186 respectively. Under the system of indoor feeding practised at mating, there was no economic advantage to be gained from flushing, but normally ewes would be flushed outside.
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001724:Birth Weight; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000662:veterinary; D010060:Ovulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D012757:Sheep Diseases