Year-round lamb production in the Manawatu region - results from year one

Abstract

Four hundred and eighty East Friesian composite (50% East Friesian, 25% Poll Dorset, 25% Texel) or Romney ewes were assigned to either a conventional lambing (March) group or a year-round lambing group. The trial began in January 2003 and the year-round system aims to have ewes lambing every 73 days. In the year-round system approximately a third of the ewes were synchronised and joined with mixed age rams of their respective breed for a 21 day period on 13 January, 27 March, 8 June, 21 August and 1 November. This results in each ewe having the opportunity to lamb five times in a three-year period. The conventionally bred ewes were joined with rams on 27 March for 2 cycles of breeding. Results after year one indicate the number of lambs born and weaned per ewe lambing was similar for East Friesian ewes in the year-round and conventional lambing groups. However Romney ewes reared less lambs (1.22 vs 1.41, P