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The magnitude of reproductive wastage to lamb marking in 30 Merino flocks in south‐west Queensland
Author(s) -
JORDAN DJ,
ORR DM,
McMENIMAN NP,
DUNLOP LB,
EVENSON CJ
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1989.tb09808.x
Subject(s) - flock , magnitude (astronomy) , zoology , biology , veterinary medicine , medicine , physics , astronomy
SUMMARY Thirty groups of Merino ewes in 6 districts of south‐west Queensland were studied between 1976 and 1985 to determine the magnitude of reproductive wastage to lamb marking. Relatively high pregnancy rates (77 to 100%, mean 93%) and a wide range of lamb marking percentages (10 to 115%, mean 78%) were recorded. The mean reproductive wastage due to failure to mate and failure to lamb was low (1.6 and 3.4% respectively) in 8 flocks where harnessed rams were used. This indicated that loss of lambs from birth to lamb marking was the major cause of reproductive wastage in most years.