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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2021
The breeding season of mature Mule (Bluefaced Leicester X Scottish Blackface) ewes at 57°N extends from September to April (King et al, 1995). Previous studies have shown that ewe lambs which become reproductively active in their first year of life have a shorter breeding season than mature ewes with both fewer and less regular oestrous cycles (Dyrmundsson, 1978a). The aim of the present study was to determine (i) whether ewes lambing in the autumn (i.e. during their natural mating season) would subsequently experience oestrous cycles and (ii) whether age has an effect on the pattern and duration of cyclicity and on ovulation rate.