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Variations in the maternal behaviour of primiparous, single-bearing ewes of a hill and a lowland breed of sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

C. M. Dwyer  and
A. B. Lawrence
C. M. Dwyer
Affiliation:
Genetics and Behavioural Sciences Department, SAC- Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QE, UK
A. B. Lawrence
Affiliation:
Genetics and Behavioural Sciences Department, SAC- Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QE, UK
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Extract

Perinatal lamb mortality can account for up to 20% of annual lamb losses, and at least a third of these deaths can be attributed to maternal factors (Mellor, 1988). Improvement in the quality of maternal behaviour may, therefore, lead to a reduction in lamb deaths. In order to identify if there is a genetic component to the expression of maternal behaviour, the behaviour of a lowland (Suffolk) and a hill (Scottish Blackface) breed of parturient ewe were quantified after the birth of a single lamb.

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Programme
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Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1997 , 1997 , pp. 184
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1997

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References

Mellor, D.J. (1988) Integration of perinatal events, pathophysiological changes and consequences for the newborn lamb. British Veterinary Journal 144: 552–569.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Connor, C.E., Lawrence, A.B. and Wood-Gush, D.G.M. (1992) Influence of litter size and parity on maternal behaviour at parturition in Scottish Blackface sheep. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 33: 345–355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar