Lifetime maternal performance in hill sheep is influenced by body reserves

摘要

Scottish Blackface ewes, much like the Australian Merino, are renowned for their ability to maintain production in environments characterised by extreme weather conditions and periods of severely restricted feed supplies. In Australia the ewe is required to recover from weaning a lamb during the tough summer months when feed supply is at its lowest. Lifetime wool guidelines based on the Australian Merino suggest that ewes with higher body condition entering the mating period will have higher fertility, and better survival during pregnancy with more of their lambs surviving to weaning at heavier weights (Young et al. 2011).