Heterogeneity of lifetime reproductive performance, its components and associations with wool production and liveweight of Merino ewes

Animal Production Science

Volumn 49, Issue 7, 2009, Pages 624-629

  Lee, G J ^a   Atkins, K D ^a   Sladek, M A ^a  

^a NSW DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES   (Australia)

Author keywords

Current generation; Reproduction costs; Reproductive performance

Indexed keywords

FECUNDITY; FERTILITY; HETEROGENEITY; IDENTIFICATION METHOD; PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT; REPRODUCTION; REPRODUCTIVE COST; SHEEP; SURVIVAL; WOOL;

AUSTRALASIA; AUSTRALIA; NEW SOUTH WALES;

EID: 67650948272     PISSN: 18360939     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1071/AN09013     Document Type: Article

References (25)

1. ABARE (2008) Farm survey data for the beef, slaughter lambs and sheep industries. Available at http://www.abare.gov.au/ame/mla/mla.asp [Verified 14 October 2008]
2. Behrendt R, Barber P, Oldham CM, Hocking Edwards JE, Hatcher S, Thompson A (2006a) Lifetime Wool: comparisons on commercial farms show the benefit of good nutrition in pregnancy on production and lamb performance of Merino ewes. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 26, Communication 70.
3. Behrendt R, Barber P, Oldham CM, Hocking Edwards JE, Hatcher S, Thompson A (2006b) Lifetime Wool: comparisons on commercial farms demonstrate significant production potential for twin-bearing Merino ewes and their progeny. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 26, Communication 91.
4. Clutton-Brock TH, Stevenson JS, Marrow P, MacColl AD, Houston AI, McNamara JM (1996) Population fluctuations, reproductive costs and life-history tactics in female Soay sheep. Journal of Animal Ecology 65, 675-689. doi: 10.2307/5667
5. Fogarty NM (1995) Genetic parameters for liveweight, fat and carcass measurements, wool production and reproduction in sheep: a review. Animal Breeding Abstracts 63, 101-143.
6. GilmourAR, Cullis BR,WelhamS, ThompsonR(2004) 'ASREMLreference manual release 2.0.' (NSW Department of Primary Industries: Orange, NSW)
7. Hamel S, Côté SD, Gaillard J-M, Festa-Bianchet M (2009) Individual variation in reproductive costs of reproduction: high-quality females always do better. Journal of Animal Ecology 78, 143-151. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01459.x
8. Hawker H, Kennedy JP (1978) Puberty and subsequent oestrous activity in young Merino ewes. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 18, 347-354. doi: 10.1071/EA9780347
9. Kleemann DO, Grosser TI, Walker SK (2006) Fertility in South Australian commercial Merino flocks: aspects of management. Theriogenology 65, 1649-1665. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.08.026
10. Langford C, Alcock D, Holst P, Shands C, Casburn G (2004) 'Wean more lambs: Optimising sheep reproductive performance.' (Meat and Livestock Australia: Sydney)
11. Lee GJ, Atkins KD (1996) Prediction of lifetime reproductive performance of Australian Merino ewes from reproductive performance in early life. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36, 123-128. doi: 10.1071/EA9960123
12. McInnes P, Grainger TJ, Smith MD (1967) Effect of prolonged undernutrition on the recovery and reproductive performance of maiden Merino ewes. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 7, 7-10. doi: 10.1071/EA9670007
13. Mortimer SI, Atkins KD (1989) Genetic evaluation of production traits between and within flocks of Merino sheep. I. Hogget fleece weights, body weight and wool quality. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 40, 433-443. doi: 10.1071/AR9890433
14. Mortimer SI, Atkins KD, Eissen J, Van Heelsum A, Burns AM, Isaac BR (1994) Effect of changing Merino ram source on average hogget production and wool quality levels and between-animal variability. Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding 42, 243-252.
15. Purvis IW, Atkins KD, Piper LR (1987) Genetic parameters for reproductive traits. In 'Merino improvement programs in Australia'. (Ed. BJ McGuirk) pp. 229-242. (Australian Wool Corporation: Melbourne)
16. Safari E, Fogarty NM, Gilmour AR, Atkins KD, Mortimer SI, Swan AA, Brien FD, Greeff JC, van der Werf JHJ (2007a) Across population genetic parameters for wool, growth, and reproduction traits in Australian Merino sheep. 2. Estimates of heritability and variance components. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 58, 177-184.
17. Safari E, Fogarty NM, Gilmour AR, Atkins KD, Mortimer SI, Swan AA, Brien FD, Greeff JC, van der Werf JHJ (2007b) Genetic correlations among and between wool, growth and reproduction traits in Merino sheep. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 124, 65-72. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0388. 2007.00641.x
18. Scaramuzzi RJ (1988) Reproduction research in perspective. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 17, 57-73.
19. Taylor PJ, Atkins KD (1997) Genetically improving fleece weight and fibre diameter of the Australian Merino - The Trangie QPLU$ project. Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding 45, 92-107.
20. Turner HN, Young SSY (1969) 'Quantitative genetics in sheep breeding.' (MacMillan of Australia: Melbourne)
21. Waters CM, Coelli KA, Lee GJ, Atkins KD (2000) Reproduction effects on annual fleece production, liveweight and body condition of grazing Merino ewes. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, 931-937. doi: 10.1071/EA00054
22. Weladji R, Loison A, Gaillard J-M, Holand Ø, Mysterud A, Yoccoz N, Nieminen M, Stenseth N (2008) Heterogeneity in individual quality overrides costs of reproduction in female reindeer. Oecologia 156, 237-247. doi: 10.1007/s00442-008-0961-x
23. Williams AH (1984) Long-term effects of nutrition of ewe lambs in the neonatal period. In 'Reproduction in sheep'. (Eds DR Lindsay, DT Pearce) pp. 272-273. (Australian Academy of Science: Canberra)
24. Young JM (2007) Implications of lifetimewool for on-farm management in south west Victoria. Available at http://www.lifetimewool.com.au/pdf/ highrainfallzreport.pdf [Verified 1 December 2008]
25. Young JM (2008) Implications of Lifetimewool for on-farm management on the southern slopes (southern NSW & central Vic). Available at http://www.lifetimewool.com.au/pdf/MIDASsouthernslopes.pdf [Verified 1 December 2008]