The effects of birth rank (single or twin) and dam age on the lifetime productive performance of female dual purpose sheep (Ovis aries) offspring in New Zealand

Greater rates of genetic gain can be achieved by selecting animals born to younger parents. However, little is known about the lifetime performance of dual purpose ewes (Ovis aries) that are born to primiparous ewe lambs (8 to 9 months old at breeding). This experiment investigated the effect of bei...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	PloS one 2019-03, Vol.14 (3), p.e0214021-e0214021
Main Authors:	Pettigrew, E J, Hickson, R E, Morris, S T, Lopez-Villalobos, N, Pain, S J, Kenyon, P R, Blair, H T
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Age Agriculture Animal production Animal sciences Animals Animals, Newborn Biology and Life Sciences Birth Weight Body Weight Breeding Cattle Experiments Female Lamb Litter Size Longevity Maternal Age Medicine and Health Sciences Milk New Zealand Offspring Ovis aries Parents Parity Pasture People and Places Physical Sciences Pregnancy Progeny Puberty Research and Analysis Methods Selective Breeding Sheep Sheep breeding Sheep, Domestic - anatomy & histology Sheep, Domestic - growth & development Sheep, Domestic - physiology Weaning Weight Zoology
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Greater rates of genetic gain can be achieved by selecting animals born to younger parents. However, little is known about the lifetime performance of dual purpose ewes (Ovis aries) that are born to primiparous ewe lambs (8 to 9 months old at breeding). This experiment investigated the effect of being born from either a ewe lamb or mixed age dam as either a single or twin on the lifetime performance of ewe progeny. Lifetime performance was measured in terms of the life time live weights of the ewes, the weight and number of lambs born and weaned, the efficiency of production (kilograms of lamb weaned / predicted pasture intake (kgDM) of the ewes), and ewe survival. The study followed the lifetime production of 17 single and 41 twin female lambs born to mature ewes (M1 and M2, respectively), and 28 single and 29 twin lambs born to ewe lambs (L1 and L2, respectively). Over their lifetime L2 ewes were lighter (P
ISSN:	1932-6203 1932-6203