The effect of management system at lambing and flock genetics on lamb output on lowland sheep farms

Systems of lowland sheep production in the UK and Ireland are labour intensive with survey data indicating an average level of labour input of 6.0 to 8.0 hrs/ewe/year (Connolly, 2000). With declining returns from lamb production, management options with reduced labour requirements, such as outdoor lambing, need evaluation. Flock genetics may also influence labour requirements and determine the effectiveness of grass-based lambing systems. Therefore, the aims of current study were firstly to evaluate the effect on lamb output of controlled grass-based lambing systems compared with housing ewes in late pregnancy and lambing indoors and secondly to examine the effect of crossbred ewe genotype and ram breed on lamb output with grass-based and indoor lambing systems.