Effects of supplementary feeding around lambing time on the productivity of Javanese thin-tail ewes

Abstract

The extent to which ewe reproduction could be improved by supplementary feeding around lambing time was investigated with four groups each of 16 ewes which were run continuously with fertile rams until they had lambed three times. One group was fed at a maintenance level throughout and the other three groups were given supplementary feed during the last four week of each pregnancy only, or during the last four weeks of pregnancy plus the first six weeks after each lambing, or during the last four weeks of pregnancy plus the first 12 weeks after each lambing. The average body weight of lambs weaned at 13 weeks of age increased (P<0.001) progressively from 6.0 to 9.1 kg with increasing duration of supplementary feeding. There were however no significant differences between treatment groups in mean interval between successive lambings (202 days), ovulation rate (2.26), litter size (1.58), lamb birth weight (1.8kg), preweaning lamb mortality (37%) or number of lambs weaned per lambing (0.99).