Abstract

Four pairs (total 8 sheep) of Romney mixed-age ewes were housed indoors and fed chaffed lucerne hay at a level equivalent to 1.2 times maintenance. Oxygen consumption was measured in two open circuit calorimeter chambers on days -3, -2, 0, 2, 6 and 10 with day 0 being day of shearing. On each measurement day, oxygen consumption was measured under two sets of climatic conditions (cold plus wind, followed by cold plus wind plus rain). Differences in live weight, fleece weight and liveweight gain of the ewes were not statistically significant. The difference in the rate of oxygen consumption (litres/kg0.75/hour) between cover comb and blade shorn-sheep was not significant during the cold+wind conditions. However, when

DL, Burnham, CW Holmes, ST Morris, WJ Parker, and RI Kidd

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 56, , 332-333, 1996