Maternal genetic and environment factors influencing lamb birth weight in a pastoral extensive system
Abstract
The birth weight of lambs influences two fundamental indicators of sheep breeding: perinatal mortality and weaning weight. Understanding the maternal factors affecting birth weight improves lamb production in extensive grazing systems. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of breed (Corriedale vs. Merino), the mother’s parity [first, second, and third or more lambing (multiparous)], type of birth (single vs. twin), sex of the lamb (female vs. male), month of birth, and week within the month of birth on a flock under extensive grazing conditions, and to estimate maternal heritability (h²) and repeatability (R). Data from 3197 parity records of ewes [2723 Corriedale and 474 Australian Merino (Merino)] and 3796 lambs (3201 Corriedale and 595 Merino) collected during 26 years in an extensive grazing system (Research Station) from 1996 to 2022 (Corriedale) and 1996 to 2005 (Merino) were analyzed. All studied factors influenced birth weight (P ≤ 0.006); Corriedale lambs, those born to multiparous ewes, males, and those from single births had the highest values (P ≤ 0.05). Second lambing ewes produced heavier lambs than those in their first lambing but lighter than multiparous ewes. Maternal h² values (Corriedale: 0.20, Merino: 0.38) and R (0.36 for both breeds) for birth weight are encouraging and suggest potential improvements both by including this trait in a selection index and by culling first-lambing ewes whose lambs are born with weights below the flock first lambing ewes’ average.
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