Productive performance of lambs born in different seasons of the year. 2023

Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
Graduate Program in Animal Science, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Curitiba, Brazil.

The seasonality in lamb supply challenges the development of sheep production. Increasing the duration of the breeding season, aimed at distributing births throughout the year, enables a constant supply of lambs. However, the birth season can influence their productive performance. The objective was to evaluate the effect of birth season on birth live weight (BW), daily live weight gain from birth to weaning (DWGBW), weaning live weight (WW), and daily live weight gain from weaning to 150 days (DWGW-150) slaughter age, as well as the influence of ewe age and body condition score (BCS), sex of the lamb, and type of pregnancy (single or twin) on these productive indices. The study analyzed production data comprising ten breeding seasons (from 2015 to 2019), 643 matings, and 531 lambs, using binary logistic regression, ANOVA, Tukey's, and t tests. Lambs born in summer exhibited lower productive performance, as evidenced by lower DWGBW (0.22 ± 0.08 kg), WW (18.88 ± 7.82 kg), and DWGW-150 (0.13 ± 0.07 kg). Ewes with prepartum BCS between 3 and 4 gave birth to heavier lambs. After birth, lambs from ewes with BCS between 3 and 4 had a higher DWGBW, while lambs from ewes with postpartum BCS of 1.5 and 2 had a lower WW. Ewes aged 2 to 8 years gave birth to heavier lambs, and ewes aged ≥8 years weaned lambs at a lower weight. After weaning, the weight gain was similar among all age groups. Male lambs had higher DWGBW and WW than female lambs. Lambs from twin pregnancies had lower BW (3.95 ± 1.27 kg), lower DWGBW (0.21 ± 0.08 kg), and lower WW (17.59 ± 8.18 kg). The average lamb mortality rate between lambing and weaning was 12.5%, ranging from 9.8% to 13.9%, with no significant variations between birth seasons. Lambs born in spring and summer needed more anthelmintic treatments than those born in autumn and winter. The production of lambs outside the traditional season is possible; however, the productive performance of lambs born in the summer is lower than that in the other seasons of the year.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012621 Seasons Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D012756 Sheep Any of the ruminant mammals with curved horns in the genus Ovis, family Bovidae. They possess lachrymal grooves and interdigital glands, which are absent in GOATS. Ovis,Sheep, Dall,Dall Sheep,Ovis dalli
D014886 Weaning Permanent deprivation of breast milk and commencement of nourishment with other food. (From Stedman, 25th ed) Weanings
D015430 Weight Gain Increase in BODY WEIGHT over existing weight. Gain, Weight,Gains, Weight,Weight Gains
D049590 Postpartum Period In females, the period that is shortly after giving birth (PARTURITION). Puerperium,Postpartum,Postpartum Women,Period, Postpartum,Women, Postpartum
D036801 Parturition The process of giving birth to one or more offspring. Birth,Childbirth,Births,Childbirths,Parturitions

Related Publications

Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
September 2023, Veterinary sciences,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
January 1966, Australian veterinary journal,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
January 1977, Bulletin de l'Academie polonaise des sciences. Serie des sciences biologiques,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
January 1983, Chirurgia narzadow ruchu i ortopedia polska,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
October 2023, Tropical animal health and production,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
January 1961, Tsitologiia,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
October 2008, Meat science,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
September 1971, Journal of animal science,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
September 1977, The Onderstepoort journal of veterinary research,
Bruna Cristina Heinzen, and Saulo Henrique Weber, and Dhéri Maia, and Cristina Santos Sotomaior
January 1987, Journal of hygiene, epidemiology, microbiology, and immunology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!