Title: Do Merino ewes seek isolation or shelter at lambing?
Abstract: Fine-wool Merino ewes, lambing in four adjacent 12-ha paddocks, were observed between 09.00 and 16.00 h daily for 18 days. Ewes in two of the paddocks had recently been shorn; ewes in the other two were unshorn. There were small areas of contrived shelter in two paddocks and the sites at which ewes lambed were recorded in relation to the shelters and to the position of other sheep. About 90% of ewes appeared to lamb at the site where the flock was grazing or resting at the time labour started; only 2% appeared to move from the flock when labour commenced, and a maximum of about 9% could have left the flock deliberately prior to the onset of obvious labour. The use of shelter for lambing closely reflected the preference of the flock for shelter; there was no evidence that ewes sought shelter in which to lamb.
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-04-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 40
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