Progress 12/01/07 to 11/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: No new data was generated during the final year of the project due to staffing changes and predator problems in the sheep flock. PARTICIPANTS: Staff and in the Animal Science Program were involved in this project. Students supported by other funds were working in the Program and were provided training in general animal management in addition to participating in this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Sheep producers in the USVI and greater Caribbean PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Based on the earlier results of this project, weaning lambs at 120 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity or lamb growth. There were no detrimental effects on lamb weaning weight, ewe body weight changes or ewe productivity. The weaning of lambs at 120 days of age has been incorporated into the management plan of the research flock as a standard practice at this point. Weaning at 120 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity. The later weaning age decreases the amount of time that lambs received high cost, imported feed without a reduction in their growth and would have a positive impact on the economics of producing hair sheep in the tropics (savings of $13 per lamb).
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The information produced by this stage of the project is a follow up to earlier data evaluating a later weaning date of 120 days. Data collected during two lambing seasons (Spring 2010 and Fall 2010) were pooled and analyzed. There has not been any outreach conducted in association with this project at this time. A summary of the data was presented as an abstract at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science meetings held in New Orleans, LA in July 2011. PARTICIPANTS: Staff in the Animal Science Program were involved in this project. Students supported by other funds were working in the Program and were provided training in general animal management in addition to participating in this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Sheep producers in the USVI and greater Caribbea. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The results of this study show that weaning lambs at 120 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity or lamb growth. Ewe weight at breeding prior to the first lambing was the same as at the subsequent breeding regardless of weaning age (42 kg). At the start of the subsequent breeding all of the late weaned ewes and none of the control ewes were nursing lambs. Days to first heat in the breeding season was not different between late and control ewes (16 vs. 14 days, respectively). Lambing rate after the subsequent breeding was not different between late weaned and control ewes and CTRL ewes (72 and 75 percent, respectively). At weaning late weaned lambs were heavier than control lambs (20 vs. 12 kg, respectively). Weaning at 120 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity. The later weaning age decreases the amount of time that lambs received high cost, imported feed without a reduction in their growth and would have a positive impact on the economics of producing hair sheep in the tropics (savings of $13 per lamb).
Publications
- Godfrey, R.W. and A. M. Hogg. 2011. Evaluation of weaning hair sheep lambs at 63 or 120 d of age in an accelerated lambing system in the tropics. J Anim. Sci. Vol. 89(E-Suppl. 1):513.
|
Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This information produced by this stage of the project is a follow up to earlier data evaluated at a later weaning date of 120 days. There has not been any outreach conducted in association with this project at this time. A summary of the data was prepared and submitted for presentation as an abstract at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science meetings to be held in July 2011. PARTICIPANTS: Staff in the Animal Science Program were involved in this project. Students supported by other funds were working in the Program and were provided training in general animal management in addition to participating in this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Sheep producers in the USVI and greater Caribbean. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The results of this study show that weaning at 120 days of age can be done in accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity or lamb growth. Ewe weight at breeding prior to this lambing was not different than at the subsequent breeding. At the start of the subsequent breeding all of late weaned ewes and none of the control ewes were nursing lambs. Pregnancy rate at the subsequent breeding, determined by ultrasound, was not different between late and control ewes (8.2 vs. 92.6%, respectively). At 120 d of age the late weaned lambs were heavier than the control weaned lambs even though the control lambs had been on feed for 57 d since being weaned. Weaning at 120 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity. The later weaning led to a decrease in the amount of time that lambs received high cost, imported feed without a reduction in their growth, and would have a positive impact on the economics of producing hair sheep in the tropics. Impact: Weaning at 120 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity. The later weaning age decreases the amount of time that lambs received high cost, imported feed without a reduction in their growth and would have a positive impact on the economics of producing hair sheep in the tropics.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The information produced by this stage of the project is a follow up to earlier data and included milk production levels of the ewes. There has not been any outreach conducted in association with this project at this time. A summary of the data was prepared and submitted for presentation as an abstract at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science meetings to be held in July 2010. PARTICIPANTS: Staff in the Animal Science Program were involved in this project. Students supported by other funds were working in the Program and were provided training in general animal management in addition to participating in this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Sheep producers in the USVI and greater Caribbean. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The results of this study show that weaning at 90 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity or lamb growth. Ewe weight at breeding prior to this lambing was not different than at the subsequent breeding. At the start of the subsequent breeding 43% of late weaned ewes and 10% of the control ewes were nursing lambs. Pregnancy rate at the subsequent breeding, determined by ultrasound, was not different between late and control ewes (97.4 vs. 97.8%, respectively). At 90 d of age there was no difference in weight between late weaned and control lambs (14.5 vs 13.9 kg, respectively) even though the control lambs had been on feed for 27 d since being weaned. Milk production on d 28 and 63 was not different between weaning age, but by d 76 and 90 milk production of late weaned ewes had decreased by 16 and 34% of d 28 levels, respectively. Weaning at 90 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity. The later weaning led to a decrease in the amount of time that lambs received high cost, imported feed without a reduction in their growth, even though milk production decreases after d 76 postpartum, and would have a positive impact on the economics of producing hair sheep in the tropics.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The information produced by this initial stage of the project is preliminary in nature. There has not been any outreach conducted in association with this project at this time. A summary of the initial data collection was prepared and submitted for presentation as an abstract at the Southern Section of the American Society of Animal Science meetings to be held in Feb 2009. PARTICIPANTS: Staff and undergraduate students in the Animal Science Program were involved in this project. Students supported by other funds were working in the Program and were provided training in general animal management in addition to participating in this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Sheep producers in the USVI and greater Caribbean PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The preliminary data generated by this project showed that there was no negative impact of late weaning of hair sheep lambs on ewe productivity and lamb growth in an accelerated lambing system. At the start of breeding 80 percent of ewes in the late weaned group were nursing lambs while none of the control ewes were. Pregnancy rate was not different between late weaned and control ewes. The ratio of litter weaning weight to ewe weight was greater for dams of late weaned lambs than dams of control lambs (56.7 vs. 42.6%, respectively). At weaning late weaned lambs were heavier than control lambs (14.8 vs. 10.7 kg, respectively). At 90 d age there was no difference (P>0.10)in weight between late weaned and control lambs (14.9 vs. 13.9 kg, respectively) even though the control lambs had been on feed for 27 d since being weaned. Weaning at 90 days of age can be done in an accelerated lambing system with no detrimental effect on ewe productivity. The later weaning led to a decrease in the amount of time that lambs received high cost, imported feed without a reduction in their growth and would have a positive impact on the economics of producing hair sheep in the tropics.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
|