Interrelationships between the duration of parturition post-natal behaviour of ewes and lambs, and the incidence of neonatal mortality.

In a flock of Merino ewes lambing whilst confined at a high stocking intensity, 21 per cent of total lamb deaths were attributed to aspects of the behaviour of ewes. There were minor differences between young ewes and older ewes in maternal behaviour. Labour time and the distribution of this parameter was not different between young and older ewes. There was a strong association between two aspects of ewe behaviour, namely, time taken to rise after lambing and desertion of lambs, and prolonged labour time. Thus, prolonged labour reduced mothering ability.