Academic literature on the topic 'Australian merino sheep Growth Experiments'
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Journal articles on the topic "Australian merino sheep Growth Experiments"
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Warner, R. D., D. W. Pethick, P. L. Greenwood, E. N. Ponnampalam, R. G. Banks, and D. L. Hopkins. "Unravelling the complex interactions between genetics, animal age and nutrition as they impact on tissue deposition, muscle characteristics and quality of Australian sheep meat." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, no. 10 (2007): 1229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea07229.
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The combined effects of age and genetics and Poll Dorset sire and growth path were studied in two separate experiments (n = 595 and 627, respectively). In the first experiment, containing genotype crosses typically used in Australia (Merino, Poll Dorset, Border Leicester) and sires selected for growth or muscling, sheep were slaughtered at 4, 8, 14 and 22 months. The second experiment used Poll Dorset sires selected for high muscling, fat or growth with progeny having two levels of nutrition postweaning. Border Leicesters expressed higher levels of carcass fat percentage and intramuscular fat and produced the heaviest carcass. Merinos had the lowest subcutaneous fat depth and highest carcass lean percentage when compared at the same age. The progeny of Poll Dorset sires selected for high muscling (PDm) expressed a shift toward glycolytic fibres relative to those from Merino sires, and PDm sires produced progeny with reduced spine and limb length and higher carcass muscle : mineral ratios, suggesting skeletal stunting. Genotype meat quality differences were minimal except that PDm sire topsides were tougher and Merinos produced higher pH meat. With age (4–22 months), lambs became heavier and fatter, fibres shifted towards oxidative and away from glycolytic, muscle myoglobin increased, the meat became darker and redder and tenderness declined. Early weaning had no effect on the time to reach slaughter weight, provided nutrition was not restricted. The sire genetics influence on the carcass composition far outweighed the effect of nutrition postweaning. Lambs on a restricted diet tended to have less acceptable meat quality but this was not evident in lambs from sires selected for high fatness. Sensory tenderness was improved and intramuscular fat was higher in lamb progeny from sires selected for high fatness.
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Doyle, PT, RA Love, and TW Plaisted. "Mineral supplementation and wool production of young Merino sheep on the south coast of Western Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, no. 4 (1995): 437. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9950437.
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Wool-free liveweight change (LWC), wool growth rate, annual wool production, and wool characteristics of young Merino wethers fed supplements of lupins with gypsum or a multi-element mineral lick were examined in 12 experiments at 5 farms between 1989 and 1992. The source of sheep varied between experiments; age was 4.5-6.5 months and liveweight 28-37 kg at the beginning of supplementation. Sheep were fed lupins, lupins coated with gypsum (15-20 g/kg lupins), or lupins along with access to the mineral lick (offered at 140 g/sheep.week). The amount of lupins offered in all treatments within any experiment was the same. Supplementary feeding varied between experiments from 150 to 240 days. The sheep grazed annual pastures at stocking rates of 8-1 6.7ha. Average lick intake was 12-18 g/sheep. day. During supplementary feeding, there was considerable variation in LWC (-80 to +110 g/day) and clean wool growth rates (3.8-15.1 g/day) within and between experiments. However, there was no significant positive effect of gypsum or mineral lick supplementation on LWC or clean wool growth rates during or after supplementary feeding in any experiment. There were positive (P<0.01) relationships between LWC and clean wool growth rates during supplementation. Also, for some spring-shorn sheep types, staple strength of wool was linearly related (P<0.01) to LWC in the period before the position of break in the wool staple. Annual wool production, average fibre diameter, and staple strength of midside wool were not significantly increased by supplements of gypsum or mineral lick in any experiment.
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Murray, PJ, JB Rowe, EM Aitchison, and SG Winslow. "Liveweight gain and wool growth in sheep fed rations containing virginiamycin." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32, no. 8 (1992): 1037. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9921037.
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The feed additive virginiamycin was evaluated for its potential to improve wool growth and liveweight gain in Merino sheep in 2 experiments. In the first experiment 84 wethers (about 10 months old) were housed individually and fed ad libitum a pelleted diet based on lucerne chaff, lupin, and barley grain. Control sheep (28) were fed an unmedicated diet, and 14 in each of 4 groups were given diets containing 10, 20, 40, or 60 mg virginiamycin/kg pellets. Virginiamycin was found to reduce feed intake during the first 4-5 weeks of the experiment when included at levels 220 g/t. There was a dose-related reduction in liveweight gain. There was no significant effect of virginiamycin on wool growth. In the second experiment, weaners and adults from 2 locations in Western Australia, Mount Barker (relatively high rainfall) and Wongan Hills (relatively low rainfall and shorter pasture-growing period), were housed individually in a shed and fed a pelleted diet at rates equivalent to 3.5 and 3.1%, respectively, of liveweight for weaners and adults. The pelleted ration was based on wheat and lucerne chaff, lupin grain, and fishmeal. Virginiamycin was included at 20 mg/kg pellets for 16 of 40 sheep of each age and location. The remaining sheep were fed the unmedicated diet. Feed conversion and liveweight gain improved (P<0.05) in response to the inclusion of virginiamycin during the first 4 weeks of the trial, but wool growth was reduced over the same period. Virginiamycin had no effect on fibre diameter in sheep in either experiment.
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Thompson, A. N., M. B. Ferguson, A. J. D. Campbell, D. J. Gordon, G. A. Kearney, C. M. Oldham, and B. L. Paganoni. "Improving the nutrition of Merino ewes during pregnancy and lactation increases weaning weight and survival of progeny but does not affect their mature size." Animal Production Science 51, no. 9 (2011): 784. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an09139.
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Lamb growth to weaning, and during the period immediately following weaning, influences post-weaning mortality and may affect mature size. The hypothesis tested in the experiments reported in this paper was that changes in the maternal liveweight of Merino ewes during pregnancy and lactation could predict the weight at weaning, post-weaning survival and mature size of their progeny. At two sites (Vic. and WA) in each of two years, a wide range in the liveweight profiles of ewes was generated during pregnancy and lactation by varying the amount of supplements fed and feed on offer grazed. Across the four experiments this resulted in progeny weights ranging from 13.8 to 28.3 kg just before weaning. Lamb growth was primarily related to the amount of feed on offer during lactation, but was also related to the liveweight change of the ewe during pregnancy. These relationships were consistent in both experiments at each site. Weaning weight was strongly associated with post-weaning survival at the Vic. site. Survival rates decreased significantly when weaning weights were below 20 kg. These results indicate that management of ewe and lamb nutrition to maximise growth of lambs before weaning and growing weaners at 30 g/day or more after weaning are important for optimal post-weaning survival. The findings also suggest that the mature size of offspring is unlikely to be adversely affected by pre-weaning nutrition within the range of nutritional scenarios during pregnancy and lactation that are likely to be experienced within the Australian sheep industry.
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Kirkegaard, J. A., S. J. Sprague, H. Dove, W. M. Kelman, S. J. Marcroft, A. Lieschke, G. N. Howe, and J. M. Graham. "Dual-purpose canola—a new opportunity in mixed farming systems." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, no. 4 (2008): 291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar07285.
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The term dual-purpose canola describes the use of a canola crop for forage before seed production. It could potentially provide a profitable and flexible break-crop option for mixed farms, but there have been no studies to test the concept in Australia. We investigated the feasibility of using canola in this way in field experiments near Canberra, Australia, from 2004 to 2006, using European winter and mid–late maturing Australian spring canola varieties. Winter varieties sown from early March to mid-April produced 2.5–5.0 t/ha of biomass providing 0.3–3.5 t/ha of high-quality forage grazed by sheep in winter. The spring varieties produced similar amounts of vegetative biomass from April sowing but were unsuited to the earlier March sowing as they flowered in early winter and did not recover from grazing. The canola forage was readily eaten by sheep; alkane-based estimates of diet composition indicated that >85% of the organic matter intake consisted of canola. Canola forage was also highly digestible (86–88%) and Merino hoggets grew at 210 g/day from a dry matter intake of 1530 g DM/day. The canola generally recovered well when grazed in winter before bud elongation. Delays in flowering associated with heavy grazing ranged from 0 to 4 days when grazed before buds were visible, to 28 days if the crop had commenced flowering. Significant delays in flowering (>14 days) associated with winter grazing did not reduce seed yield or oil content when favourable spring conditions allowed compensatory growth. Yield loss was observed when winter and spring conditions were unfavourable for compensatory growth, or if grazing continued too late into spring (late September) irrespective of seasonal conditions. The yield loss was more than offset by the value of the grazed forage and the mean gross margin for dual-purpose canola over the four experiments was $240 to $500 higher than for grain-only canola depending on the value assumed for the forage. The study indicates there is considerable scope to capture value from grazing early-sown canola crops during winter without significant, uneconomic trade-offs with seed yield. Further investigations in other medium to high rainfall environments in southern Australia are warranted.
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Young, J., P. T. Doyle, and P. Booth. "Strip grazing to control wool growth rate of sheep grazing green annual pastures." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 39, no. 3 (1999): 247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea98143.
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We compared strip grazing (SG) as a means of controlling wool growth rate, reducing variation in fibre diameter along the staple, and of carrying more Merino sheep through winter on green annual pastures, with set stocking (SS) in 3 experiments. In experiments 1 and 2, SG involved grazing to a residual feed on offer (FOO) of 400 kg DM/ha with an estimated intake of about 0.8 kg DM/day for each sheep. Treatments commenced after pasture establishment in autumn–winter, with both treatments stocked at 20 wethers/ha until late spring. During spring, average liveweight changes were lower (P<0.01) under SG than SS (55 v. 153 g/day experiment 1; –16 v. 217 g/day experiment 2). Strip grazing, compared with SS, reduced (P<0.01) the variation in wool growth rate and fibre diameter along the staple leading to lower (P<0.01) clean wool weights (3.54 v. 3.94 and 2.97 v. 4.12 kg), but finer (P<0.01) (20.9 v. 22.0 and 19.5 v. 21.5 mm), stronger (P<0.01) (28.6 v. 25.3 and 39.9 v. 35.5 N/ktex) wool. However, there was also an increase in vegetable matter content of the wool. The effects on annual pastures were to increase grass (79 v. 48 and 59 v. 25%) and reduce legume (12 v. 36 and 22 v. 54%) content at the end of spring. In experiment 3, two strip grazing treatments were used: SGl with a residual FOO of about 400 kg DM/ha and a stocking rate of 28 wethers/ha; and SGh with a residual FOO of about 800 kg DM/ha and stocking rate of 14 wethers/ha. The stocking rate for SS was 12 wethers/ha. SGl, following an autumn deferment, enabled a stocking rate of 28 wethers/ha to be sustained through winter without supplementary feeding. This is substantially higher than the district average stocking rate of about 7 sheep/ha. Strip grazing reduced (P<0.01) liveweights at the completion of treatments (SGl 41.9 v. SGh 47.9 v. SS 60.3 kg), reduced (P<0.01) clean wool weights (3.40 v. 3.72 v. 4.54 kg) and mean fibre diameter (19.1 v. 19.0 v. 20.9 m), but increased staple strength (21.3 v. 19.0 v. 16.9 N/ktex). These results are discussed in relation to opportunities to utilise strip grazing in sheep production systems on annual pastures in south-western Australia.
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Z, Hernández-Russo. "Effect of Gastrointestinal Nematodes on Reproduction and Lamb Growth in Australian Merino Sheep." Open Access Journal of Veterinary Science & Research 5, no. 2 (2020): 1–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.23880/oajvsr-16000204.
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Environmental conditions in Uruguay favour the development of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) throughout the year, with clinical or subclinical manifestations that cause significant economic losses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the GIN on fertility, fecundity, reproductive rate and lamb growth in Australian Merino sheep grazing on basalt fields. The study was carried out in a farm located in north of Uruguay. Sixty-eight Merino ewes facing a natural parasite challenge were divided into two groups. Control group was doused with active anthelmintic that have proven efficacy to minimize the effects of parasitic and the parasitized group that did not receive anthelmintic, except rescue dosages. Stool sample of each sheep was collected monthly for egg counts (EPG) of GIN using McMaster technique and nematode genders were identified from infective larvae obtained in cultures by Roberts O’ Sullivan technique. Artificial insemination and ewes were mated for new service, and pregnancy condition was diagnosed by ultrasound. Lambing control was made and lambs were weighed at birth and marking. The evolution of EPG values showed significant differences between groups at the end of gestation and lactation. Haemonchus spp. was the main gender of nematodes found, followed by Trichostrongylus spp. Fertility was 95 % versus 90 %; fecundity 87 % versus 63 % and reproductive rate 73 % versus 47 % for the control group and the parasitized one respectively. No significant differences were recorded in birth-weight. However market-weight and lamb daily gain were lower in the parasitized group. The effect of natural infection GIN was evident in lower reproductive performance of Australian Merino sheep.
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Bowen, M. K., P. M. Pepper, J. L. Winkleman, R. C. McPhie, and M. R. Winter. "Using automated supplementation systems to meet growth targets for grazing sheep." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, no. 9 (2008): 1201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea07412.
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Remote drafting technology now available for sheep allows targeted supplementation of individuals within a grazing flock. This paper reports results of three experiments. Experiment 1 examined the weight change of Merino wethers allowed access to either lupin grain or whole cottonseed 0, 1, 2 or 7 days/week for 6 weeks. Experiment 2 examined the weight change of Merino wethers allowed access to either lupins or a sorghum + cottonseed meal (CSM) supplement 0, 2, 4 or 7 days/week for 8 weeks. Experiment 3 investigated the relationship between five allocations of trough space at the supplement self-feeders (5–50 cm/sheep) and the weight change of Merino wethers allowed access to lupins 1 day/week for 8 weeks. In all experiments, the Merino wethers had free access as a single group to drinking water and low quality hay in a large group pen and were allowed access to supplement once per day on their scheduled days of access. No water was available in the areas containing supplement, but one-way flow gates allowed animals to return to the group pen in their own time. There was a linear response in growth rate to increased frequency of access to lupins in Experiments 1 and 2, with each additional day of access increasing liveweight gain by 26 and 21 g/day, respectively. Similarly, the response to the sorghum + CSM supplement was linear, although significantly lower (P < 0.05), at 12 g/day. Providing access to whole cottonseed resulted in no significant change in growth rate compared with the control animals. In Experiment 3, decreasing trough space from 50 to 5 cm/sheep had no effect on sheep liveweight change. It was concluded that the relationships developed here, for growth response to increased frequency of access to lupins or a sorghum + CSM supplement, could be used to indicate the most appropriate frequency of access to supplement, through a remote drafting unit, to achieve sheep weight change targets. Also, that a trough space of 5 cm/sheep appears adequate in this supplementation system.
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Salvatore, L., D. Allen, K. L. Butler, D. Tucman, A. Elkins, D. W. Pethick, and F. R. Dunshea. "Factors affecting the concentration of short branched-chain fatty acids in sheep fat." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, no. 10 (2007): 1201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea07037.
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The concentration of short branched-chain fatty acids, specifically 4-methyloctanoic acid (MOA) and 4-methylnonanoic acid (MNA), in subcutaneous fat were determined in five genotypes (Poll Dorset × Border Leicester Merino, Poll Dorset × Merino, Poll Dorsetmuscling × Merino, Merino × Merino, Border Leicester × Merino) of Australian sheep. In total, 264 ewes and wethers, either 8 or 22 months of age, were selected for genotype, age and gender. These animals were sired by 16 rams that were selected for growth based on estimated breeding values (EBVs), except for one group (Poll Dorsetmuscling × Merino), which was selected for muscling based on EBVs. There was a strong relationship between the concentration of MOA and MNA at 8 and 22 months of age. There were no differences between lambs sired by Poll Dorset rams selected for muscling or growth. The 8- and 22-month-old Poll Dorset × Merino sheep had higher levels of MOA and MNA compared with the other genotypes (P < 0.001). At 8 months of age, the wethers had higher levels of MOA and MNA (P < 0.001) than the ewes of the same genotype. There was a strong relationship (P < 0.001) between MOA and MNA and the fat and lean percentage for 22-month-old ewes. Effects of sire, dam and slaughter day (at the same slaughter age) on MOA and MNA were also found. The results suggest that there is good feasibility for selection against animals at risk of possessing higher levels of short branched-chain fatty acids.
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KRAUSGRILL, D. I., N. M. TULLOH, W. R. SHORTHOSE, and K. SHARPE. "Effects of weight loss in ewes in early pregnancy on muscles and meat quality of lambs." Journal of Agricultural Science 132, no. 1 (February 1999): 103–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859698006133.
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Three successive experiments, of similar design, were carried out during 1986–88 at Mount Derrimut, Australia. Mature Merino ewes were mated to Poll Dorset rams and then allocated to either a control group (C) or a treatment group (R). Ewes from each treatment were slaughtered 60, 70, 100 or 140 days post-conception and the development of their foetuses was compared in terms of body size and muscle characteristics. In Expts 1 and 2, some ewes were allowed to lamb and the progeny in each group were slaughtered after reaching a body weight of 35 kg, for comparison of growth rates, muscle characteristics and meat quality.In each experiment, treatment extended from mating to day 70 of pregnancy and, during this period, both groups were housed. Ewes in group C were kept as one group and fed ad libitum and ewes in group R were individually penned and fed a restricted ration of the same diet as that given to group C in order to achieve a steady loss of body weight. In Expt 1, this loss was 8 kg but, in Expts 2 and 3, feed intake was controlled according to condition score and, during this period, group R ewes lost 25–35% of their body weight at mating. After day 70, all ewes were kept grazing and were offered supplementary feed at rates sufficient for a steady increase in ewe body weights.Foetuses in group R were lower in body weight (P<0·05), crown-rump length (P<0·05) and girth (P<0·01). However, birth weights and mean ages of the 35 kg lambs at slaughter did not differ significantly between treatments.There were no significant differences between treatments for the semitendinosus (ST) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles in total muscle weight, DNA content, protein content, nor in the ratios of muscle weight[ratio ]DNA and protein[ratio ]DNA. However, there were significant differences between experiments, which indicated that cell size in the ST and SM muscles was lower in Expt 2 than in Expt 1.In day 70 foetuses, the cross-sectional area of α fibres was greater (P<0·05) in group R than in group C but by day 140 the difference was no longer significant. At day 70, there was also a positive correlation (r=0·65, P<0·01) between the cross-sectional area of β fibres and the number of α fibres surrounding each of them. There were no significant differences between treatments at any age in the percentages of βR, αR and αW fibres.Meat from group R lambs was more tender than that from group C lambs as indicated by significantly lower means in the SM muscle for adhesion (P<0·01) and Warner–Bratzler Peak Force (WB PF) measurements (P<0·05).Although some effects of nutritional restriction were found, severe feed shortage in early pregnancy in sheep is unlikely to have significant effects on the production of prime lamb meat provided that adequate nutrition is available during late pregnancy and post-natal growth.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Australian merino sheep Growth Experiments"
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Bray, Megan. "Regulation of wool and body growth : nutritional and molecular approaches." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2002. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phb8267.pdf.
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"May 2002" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-164) Describes a series of novel experiments designed to enhance our understanding of nutrient utilisation for growth of wool and the whole body.
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Paganoni, Beth Louise. "Increasing feed-on-offer to merino ewes during pregnancy and lactation can increase muscle and decrease fat, but does not affect the faecal worm egg count of their progeny." University of Western Australia, 2005. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0129.
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Ewes at two sites were fed to be either condition score 2 or 3 by Day 90 of pregnancy and then grazed on various levels of feed-on-offer (FOO) from Day 90 of pregnancy until weaning, to investigate whether nutrition of Merino ewes during pregnancy and lactation affected the muscle, fat and immunity to worms of their progeny. Eye muscle and fat depth at the C-site, and faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) of the progeny were measured between 7 - 27 months of age. Ewe condition score at day 90 of pregnancy did not impact largely on the eye muscle depth, fat depth or FWEC of the progeny. Increasing FOO available to ewes during the last 60 days of pregnancy and throughout lactation increased the eye muscle depth of progeny at one site and decreased the fat depth of progeny at the other site (P<0.05), but did not affect the majority of FWECs of the progeny at either site. The FWECs of the progeny were low, indicating a relatively low larval challenge, which limits the likelihood of differences in immunity to worms between the progeny being expressed. This Masters demonstrated that levels of nutrition available to Merino ewes typical of commercial grazing conditions had only small effects on the eye muscle and fat depth at the C-site, and on the faecal worm egg counts of their progeny
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Kakar, Muhammad Azam. "Effect of peri-conceptional feed intake on early embryo development and fetal growth in the Merino ewe /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2003. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ANP/09anpk138.pdf.
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Bray, Megan. "Regulation of wool and body growth : nutritional and molecular approaches / Megan Bray." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/21832.
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"May 2002"Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-164)
xi, 164 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.
Describes a series of novel experiments designed to enhance our understanding of nutrient utilisation for growth of wool and the whole body.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Animal Science, 2002
Books on the topic "Australian merino sheep Growth Experiments"
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Norris, R. T. Survey of post-weaning management, growth and mortality of Merino weaners. Perth: Western Australia, Department of Agriculture, 1986.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Australian merino sheep Growth Experiments"
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Beinart, William, and Lotte Hughes. "Sheep, Pastures, and Demography in Australia." In Environment and Empire. Oxford University Press, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199260317.003.0011.
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Succeeding phases of British economic growth prompted strikingly different imperatives for expansion, for natural resource exploitation, and for the social organization of extra-European production. In the eighteenth century, sugar, African slaves, and shipping in the Atlantic world provided one major dynamic of empire. But in the nineteenth century, antipodean settlement and trade, especially that resulting from expanding settler pastoral frontiers, was responsible for some of the most dramatic social and environmental transformations. Plantations occupied relatively little space in the new social geography of world production. By contrast, commercial pastoralism, which took root most energetically in the temperate and semi-arid regions of the newly conquered world, was land-hungry but relatively light in its demands for labour. The Spanish Empire based in Mexico can be considered a forerunner. By the 1580s, within fifty years of their introduction, there were an estimated 4.5 million merino sheep in the Mexican highlands. The livestock economy, incorporating cattle as well as sheep, spread northwards through Mexico to what became California by the eighteenth century. Settler intrusions followed in the vast landmasses of southern Latin America, southern Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Australia was one of the last-invaded of these territories, and, in respect of the issues that we are exploring, was in some senses distinctive. Unlike Canada and South Africa, there was no long, slow period of trade and interaction with the indigenous population; like the Caribbean, the Aboriginal people were quickly displaced by disease and conquest. The relative scale of the pastoral economy was greater than in any other British colony. Supply of meat and dairy products to rapidly growing ports and urban centres was one priority for livestock farmers. Cattle ranching remained a major feature of livestock production in Australia. Bullock-carts, not dissimilar to South African ox-wagons, were essential for Australian transport up to the 1870s. But for well over a century, from the 1820s to the 1950s and beyond, sheep flooded the southern lands. Although mutton became a significant export from New Zealand and South America, wool was probably the major product of these pastoral hinterlands—and a key focus of production in Australia and South Africa. The growth in antipodean sheep numbers was staggering.