Erichsen Cathrine, Coombs Tamsin, Sargison Neil, McCoard Sue, Keady Tim W J, Dwyer Cathy M
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Front Vet Sci. 2024 Jul 30;11:1394484. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1394484. eCollection 2024.
Prolificacy has become an important breeding goal in sheep farming to increase farm profitability. With the adoption of improved genetics and management practices leading to increased lambing percentages, the proportion of triplet-born lambs has also increased on farms. However, mortality rates of triplet lambs are higher than for single- and twin-born lambs, and additional management inputs may be needed to support survival. The aim of this study was to identify factors that affect management practices that are considered important for triplet lamb survival by commercial farmers from the United Kingdom (UK), the Ireland (IRE), and New Zealand (NZ).
An online survey was developed and disseminated to farmers in each country, focusing on farmer demographics, flock characteristics, management practices and production outcomes. A total of 448 farmers completed the survey, from the UK ( = 168), IRE ( = 218), and NZ ( = 62).
Respondents had larger flocks, higher scanning and lambing percentages than the country average for the UK and IRE. The mean percentage of triplet litters born within flocks was 9%, and lambs lost between scanning and lambing were 14% for UK, 15% for IRE, and 25% for NZ respondents ( = 0.063). Overall, 60% of all respondents reported to lamb indoors and 40% lambed outdoors, however NZ farmers almost exclusively lambed outdoors, whereas UK and IRE farmers lambed in both systems ( < 0.001). NZ farmers were more likely to rear all triplet lambs with the ewe, whereas UK and IRE farmers were more likely to remove a lamb to rear by another ewe or artificially ( < 0.001). Factors that influenced triplet lamb management practices of respondents in this study were respondent country of origin, flock size, age, and gender. In general, younger respondents ( < 0.001), and female respondents ( < 0.05), were more likely to engage in management activities that were considered to promote better triplet lamb survival, compared to older and male respondents respectively. These practices were associated with better lamb survival reported by respondents but were less likely to be carried out when flock size increased ( < 0.001).
The results of this survey highlight future priorities or communication strategies needed to improve triplet lamb survival.
繁殖力已成为养羊业提高农场盈利能力的重要育种目标。随着采用改良的遗传学和管理方法使产羔率提高，农场中三胞胎羔羊的比例也有所增加。然而，三胞胎羔羊的死亡率高于单胞胎和双胞胎羔羊，可能需要额外的管理投入来保障其存活。本研究的目的是确定影响英国（UK）、爱尔兰（IRE）和新西兰（NZ）商业养殖户认为对三胞胎羔羊存活至关重要的管理方法的因素。
设计并向每个国家的养殖户发放了一份在线调查问卷，重点关注养殖户的人口统计学特征、羊群特征、管理方法和生产成果。共有448名养殖户完成了调查，其中来自英国的有168名，来自爱尔兰的有218名，来自新西兰的有62名。
与英国和爱尔兰的全国平均水平相比，受访者的羊群规模更大，扫描受孕率和产羔率更高。羊群中三胞胎产仔的平均比例为9%，英国受访者在扫描受孕到产羔期间损失的羔羊为14%，爱尔兰为15%，新西兰为25%（P = 0.063）。总体而言，60%的受访者报告在室内产羔，40%在室外产羔，然而新西兰的养殖户几乎都在室外产羔，而英国和爱尔兰的养殖户在两种环境下都有产羔（P < 0.001）。新西兰的养殖户更倾向于让母羊养育所有的三胞胎羔羊，而英国和爱尔兰的养殖户更倾向于将一只羔羊移出由另一只母羊或人工养育（P < 0.001）。本研究中影响受访者三胞胎羔羊管理方法的因素包括受访者的原籍国、羊群规模、年龄和性别。一般来说，与年龄较大的受访者和男性受访者相比，年轻的受访者（P < 0.001）和女性受访者（P < 0.05）更有可能采取被认为能促进三胞胎羔羊更好存活的管理活动。这些做法与受访者报告的更好的羔羊存活率相关，但当羊群规模增加时实施的可能性较小（P < 0.001）。
本次调查结果突出了提高三胞胎羔羊存活率所需的未来重点或沟通策略。
