Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T22:46:37.518Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Some effects of compulsory exposure over winter on in-lamb Welsh Mountain ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

C. J. Winfield ,
W. Brown  and
I. A. M. Lucas
C. J. Winfield
Affiliation:
University College of North Wales, Bangor
W. Brown
Affiliation:
University College of North Wales, Bangor
I. A. M. Lucas
Affiliation:
University College of North Wales, Bangor
Get access

Extract

1. Experiments were carried out during two winters on the effects of exposure, partial outdoor shelter and complete indoor shelter on individually penned pregnant Welsh Mountain ewes at an altitude of approximately 275 m. A single pelleted diet was given at several levels of intake.

2. In Experiment 1 ewes fed at an approximately maintenance level indoors had post partum live weights 0·9 and 1·4 kg greater than those fed at the same level in the partially sheltered and exposed pens.

3. The daily voluntary feed intake of ewes fed to appetite was 20% greater in the exposed and partially sheltered pens than in the indoor pens. But there were no consequent differences between post partum live weights, which were all higher than for ewes kept at maintenance intake.

4. In Experiment 2, when the weather was milder, the effects of exposure and shelter on ewes fed at the maintenance level were smaller and not statistically significant. Raising intake by 5 or 10% caused only small and not statistically significant increases in post partum weight.

5. Neither changes in food intake nor in environment affected lamb birth weights.

6. Ewes fed to appetite had a significantly greater wool production than those at the maintenance level. Environment had no effect on the weight of clean wool produced but penning indoors increased the weight of suint.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , November 1968 , pp. 451 - 463
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1968

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Armstrong, D. G., Blaxter, K. L., Graham, N. McC. and Wainman, F. W. 1959. The effect of environmental conditions on food utilisation by sheep. Anim. Prod. 1: 1–12.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. and Campling, R. C. 1962. Regulation of voluntary food intake in ruminants. Nutr. Abstr. Rev. 32: 669–686.Google ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L., Clapperton, J. L. and Wainman, F. W. 1966. The extent of differences between six British breeds of sheep in their metabolism, feed intake and utilisation, and resistance to climatic stress. Br. J. Nutr. 20: 283–294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caborn, J. M. 1965. Shelterbelts and Windbreaks. Faber and Faber, London.Google Scholar
Cadman, W. A. 1963. Shelterbelts for western hill farms. Forest Ree., Lond. No. 22.Google Scholar
Coop, I. E. and Drew, K. R. 1963. Maintenance and lactation requirements of grazing sheep. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 23: 53–62.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M. 1963. The effects of exposure in Blackface sheep with particular reference to the role of the fleece. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 60: 267–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doney, J. M. 1964. The fleece of the Scottish Blackface sheep. IV. The effects of pregnancy, lactation and nutrition on seasonal wool production. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 62: 59–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doney, J. M. 1966. Breed differences in response of wool growth to annual nutritional and climatic cycles. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 67: 25–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doney, J. M., Griffiths, J. G. and Russel, A. J. F. 1964. Shelter research in the hill farming organisation. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 2nd Symposium on Shelter Research, Edinburgh, pp. 37–41.Google Scholar
Peart, J. N. 1967. The effect of different levels of nutrition during late pregnancy on the subsequent milk production of Blackface ewes and on the growth of their lambs. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68: 365–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Doney, J. M. and Reid, R. L. 1967a. The use of biochemical parameters in controlling nutritional state in pregnant ewes, and the effect of undernourishment during pregnancy on lamb birth weight. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68: 351–358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Doney, J. M. and Reid, R. L. 1967b. Energy requirements of the pregnant ewe. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68: 359–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. 1956. Statistical Methods applied to Experiments in Agriculture and Biology. 5th ed.Iowa State University Press, Ames, Ia.Google Scholar