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A note on the performance of Soay ewes, when mated to Soay and Dorset Down rams, and the growth rate and carcass production of their lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. V. Large
R. V. Large
Affiliation:
Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 5LR
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Abstract

Soay ewes were mated to a Soay or a Dorset Down ram. Live-weight changes of the ewes, birth weights, growth rates and carcass production of the lambs were recorded, and the food consumption of the ewes and lambs was measured. The use of the Dorset Down ram resulted in significantly heavier birth weights, higher growth rates and heavier carcasses. Under conditions of good nutrition the Soay ewes proved to be capable of carrying very high foetal burdens and it was estimated, from lamb live-weight gains, that they produced a large quantity of milk, relative to their size, particularly when crossed with the Dorset Down ram.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , April 1980 , pp. 307 - 310
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1980

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References

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