J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1959. 18:392-398.
© 1959 American Society of Animal Science
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The Effect of Delayed Shearing of Ewes and Day-Time Cooling of Rams on Late Spring Breeding Performance

Joe V. Whiteman and K. I. Brown1

Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Stillwater,2

Abstract

The study extended from 1955 to 1957 and involved the breeding and lambing records from eight pairs of Dorset rams mated to 45–50 ewes per pair. The breeding season varied in length from 32 to 48 days but was always in the time interval between May 20 and July 12. One-half of the ewes were high grade Rambouillets and the other one-half were Rambouillet X Panama-Rambouillets (RPR). Rams were yearlings except in 1957 when two-year old rams were used.

One ram of each pair was kept in a cooled room from 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. daily where the temperature seldom got over 85° F. The other ram of each pair was kept in a stall of equal size and similar light. Cooled rams produced more lambs primarily because they made more matings. They also produced more lambs per mating (nonsignificant).

One-half of the ewes were sheared in early April and the other one-half were sheared about 10 days before breeding began. The late shorn ewes produced more lambs (P{cong}0.08) because of a higher frequency of twins and also more of them lambed per mating (nonsignificant).

A study of first service records as a measure of reproductive performance, substantiated the foregoing results and also indicated that interactions are probably slight or non-existent between the effects produced by cooling the rams, late shearing the ewes and the kinds of ewes that were used.

Footnotes

1 Present address: Department of Poultry Science, Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio.

2 In cooperation with the Sheep, Goat and Fiber research section, Animal and Poultry Branch A.R.S., U.S.D.A.






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Copyright © 1959 by the American Society of Animal Science.