The Garole sheep is so far the only specialized sheep which is dwarf, highly prolific, has short lambing interval and is of coarse wool type. This sheep has specific characteristic of adaptability to hot and humid climatic conditions, grazing in knee-deep saline water and high mothering instinct for their neonates (Pan and Sahoo 2008). The genetically determined polymorphous system of haemoglob...

Total litter weight weaned at 120 d postpartum per ewe lambing is often believed to be a measure of range ewe productivity. Genetic correlations for litter weight weaned at 120 d with prolificacy, growth, and wool traits for Columbia, Polypay, Rambouillet, and Targhee sheep were estimated using REML with animal models. Observations per breed ranged from 5,140 to 7,083 for litter weight weaned, ...

In fine-wool Merino ewes, immunisation against a mixture of steroids was compared with androstenedione immunisation alone and with no treatment to evaluate its long term effectiveness in improving reproductive performance by increasing fecundity. Using 2 prototype multi-steroid vaccines in field trials conducted for 4 consecutive years, gains in lambing percentage were consistently obtained, wi...

Procedures have been developed to produce consistent increases in ovulation rate in Merino ewes by immunization against the steroids, androstenedione, testosterone and oestrone. The procedures were based on experiments in the field over the period 1978-1981 using groups of 50 ewes for each treatment. The method uses selected steroid-human serum albumin conjugates, together with DEAEdextran adju...

Merino ewes which had undergone regular handling to accustom them to the activities of observers were studied during lambing in outdoor yards. Quantitative behavioural records showed that: (1) individual ewes tended to isolate themselves from the main group before giving birth (P < 0.01) and to remain away during the first two postpartum days (day 1, P < 0.01; day 2, P < 0.05); (2) birth sites ...