Effects of different growth paths from 4 to 11 months of age on
Romney hogget oestrus and subsequent reproduction
R.W. Moore, D.C. Smeaton
Whatawhata Hill Country Research Centre, Hamilton
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
1980, 40: 27-33
The effects of four different growth paths from weaning till the
end of the hogget oestrous season on the incidence of hogget oestrus and
on two-tooth reproduction have been studied in 290 Romney sheep. The
respective weights (kg) of the four groups (HH, HL, LH1 and LH2) at
weaning (early December) were 20.1, 20.0, 20.0 and 19.9, at the cross-
over (late March) were 30.3, 30.2, 21.3 and 21.2, and at the end of the
hogget oestrus season (mid July) were 36.4, 32.0, 32.0 and 31.0. The
percentages of hoggets showing oestrous in the four groups were 92, 66,
30 and 14. Nutrition in both feeding periods affected the incidence of
hogget oestrus (P<0.01). In the L-treatments (but not H-), later birth
date was related to a lower probability of showing oestrus. The
percentage of ewes lambing multiples was higher (P=0.05) in the HH group
(21%) than in the other 3 groups (11%). Those ewes that showed hogget
oestrus had a significantly greater proportion of ewes lambing and ewes
lambing multiples, but some of the difference was associated with
differences in pre-mating liveweight.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Last Updated 12-09-1998
