Identification of risk factors for ewe mortality during the pregnancy and lambing period in extensively managed flocks

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dc.citation.issue1
dc.citation.volume19
dc.contributor.authorFlay KJ
dc.contributor.authorChen AS
dc.contributor.authorYang DA
dc.contributor.authorKenyon PR
dc.contributor.authorRidler AL
dc.coverage.spatialEngland
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-22T21:38:01Z
dc.date.available2024-07-22T21:38:01Z
dc.date.issued2023-12-06
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND: Ewe mortality during pregnancy and lambing is an issue for sheep producers globally, resulting in reduced productivity and profitability, compromised ewe welfare, and poor consumer perception. Despite these negative consequences, there was little investigation into factors associated with ewe death during this time. Therefore, this study aimed to assess associations between ewe body condition score (BCS), weight, reproductive parameters, and risk of mortality during pregnancy and lambing. METHODS: Four cohorts from three commercial New Zealand farms participated, with 13,142 ewe lambs enrolled and followed over time. Data were collected for five consecutive lambings. Visits aligned with key on-farm management times, specifically: prior to breeding, at pregnancy diagnosis (PD), prior to lambing (set-stocking), and, at weaning of their lambs. At each visit, ewes were weighed, BCS assessed and reproductive status was recorded when relevant (litter size at PD and lactation status after lambing). Ewes that died or were culled were recorded, and any ewes that were absent from consecutive visits were presumed dead. Logistic regressions were developed to assess the relationship between weight and BCS at each visit, PD result (single or multiple-bearing) and lactation status (wet or dry) in each year, and, risk of mortality during the pregnancy and lambing period in each year. RESULTS: In the PD to weaning period, mortality incidence ranged from 6.3 to 6.9% for two-tooth (18-months-old at breeding) to mixed-age (54-months-old at breeding) ewes. For ewe lambs (7 to 8-months-old at breeding), mortality was 7.3% from set-stocking to weaning. Heavier ewe lambs at PD were less likely to die during lambing (OR: 0.978, p = 0.013), as were those with greater set-stocking BCS. In subsequent years, BCS was a predictor of ewe death, with odds of mortality greatest for ewes < BCS 2.5. Additionally, for poorer BCS ewes, increasing weight reduced risk of mortality, but there was no impact of increasing weight in greater BCS ewes. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified risk factors associated with ewe mortality during the pregnancy and lambing period. Flock owners can use these to either cull at-risk ewes or proactively intervene to reduce likelihood of mortality, thereby improving flock productivity, profitability and welfare.
dc.description.confidentialfalse
dc.edition.edition2023
dc.format.pagination257-
dc.identifier.author-urlhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38053208
dc.identifier.citationFlay KJ, Chen AS, Yang DA, Kenyon PR, Ridler AL. (2023). Identification of risk factors for ewe mortality during the pregnancy and lambing period in extensively managed flocks.. BMC Vet Res. 19. 1. (pp. 257-).
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/s12917-023-03822-x
dc.identifier.eissn1746-6148
dc.identifier.elements-typejournal-article
dc.identifier.issn1746-6148
dc.identifier.number257
dc.identifier.pii10.1186/s12917-023-03822-x
dc.identifier.urihttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/70269
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherBioMed Central Ltd
dc.publisher.urihttps://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-023-03822-x
dc.relation.isPartOfBMC Vet Res
dc.rights(c) 2023 The Author/s
dc.rightsCC BY 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectBody condition score (BCS)
dc.subjectDeath
dc.subjectLitter size
dc.subjectOvine
dc.subjectReproduction
dc.subjectSheep
dc.subjectWastage
dc.subjectWeight
dc.subjectPregnancy
dc.subjectAnimals
dc.subjectSheep
dc.subjectFemale
dc.subjectLitter Size
dc.subjectWeight Gain
dc.subjectPregnancy Outcome
dc.subjectRisk Factors
dc.subjectNew Zealand
dc.titleIdentification of risk factors for ewe mortality during the pregnancy and lambing period in extensively managed flocks
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.elements-id485248
pubs.organisational-groupOther
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