In
the autumn (October - November) breeding season of 2001, all the
available Cornell Dorsets were bred to East Friesian x Dorset rams
to lamb in the spring (March - April). These ewes continued to
be managed under the Cornell
STAR system. The reproduction of these
ewes has been documented through the August
2003 lambing
season (two reproductive years).
Of 260 ewes in the breeding group, 55 have never lambed:
- 4 were culled in December 2001
- 5 died prior to the start of the lambing season on 15 March
2002
- 2 died during the March - April lambing season with no record
of lambing
- 1 died in July 2002 with no record of lambing
- 6 were culled in summer (July - September) 2002
- 36 others still in the flock have not lambed and will be culled
soon
- 180 lambed in March 2003 of 241 likely lambers (74.7%, unexpectedly
low)
- 53 of the 180 ewes that lambed in March 2003 lambed in October
2003 (29%); 39 others lambed in January 2004 (total of 51%).
- 205 have lambed at least once since 15 March 2003 and their
records are summarized in the figures
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