Abstract

Lactating or non-lactating Coopworth ewe hoggets were offered low, medium or high herbage allowances for 8 weeks during lactation in each of 2 years. Herbage allowance had only a small effect on the penalty of a hogget lactation. Relative to their non-lactating counterparts, the hoggets that had lactated were on average 12.8 kg lighter at weaning and had a 0.29 kg lower clean fleece weight. These penalties are larger than those reported in other New Zealand studies in which the lactating hoggets were preferentially fed. The lambs reared by the hoggets had live-weight gains typical of those observed in twin lambs reared by adult ewes.

NA, Thomson, WB Brown, and MJ Mace

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 45, , 137-140, 1985