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Influence of Ewe Age on Productive Characters of Southdown Sheep^1,2,

University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506

Abstract

Data utilized for this study came from records collected over a 14-year period, 1956 to 1969 inclusive, from a purebred Southdown flock which had been closed to outside breeding since 1957 and selected for date of birth. The lamb traits studied were birth weight (BTWT), rate of gain from birth to 120 days (RB12) and 120-day weight (12WT). The ewe traits studied were lambs born per ewe exposed (LREE), lambs reared per ewe exposed (LREE), percent ewes lambing (%ELA), lambing date (LADT), lambs born per ewe lambing (LBEL), lambs reared per ewe lambing (LREL), date of first estrus (DAES), ewe wool weight (EWWT) and ewe body weight (EBWT).

For the lamb traits, age of dam was a significant source of variation for BTWT only. Lambs from 2-year-old ewes were lighter at birth than lambs from all other age of dam classes. Age of ewe was significant for all ewe traits except %ELA and LADT. In general for the various ewe traits, the mature ewes were more productive than younger ewes with the only exception being that EWWT tended to decline with advancing age.

¹ Published with approval of the Director of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article 73-5-42.

² A publication of Southern Regional Sheep Breeding Project, S-29.

³ Present address: American Brahman Breeders Association, Houston, Texas.