The effect of body condition score on lamb body weight and litter size in a flock of Chaal sheep


1. Aktas, A.H., Dursun, S., Dogan, S., Kiyma, Z., Demirci, U., and Halıci, I. 2015. Effects of ewe live weight and age on reproductive performance, lamb growth, and survival in Central Anatolian Merino sheep. Archives Animal Breeding. 58: 451–459.
2. Aliyari, D., Mohammadi, M.M., Shahir, M.H., and Sirjani, M.A. 2012. Effect of body condition score, live weight and age on performance of Afshari ewes. Asian Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Advances. 7: 904-909.
3. Analla, M., Muñoz-Serrano, A., and Serradilla, J.M. 1997. Analysis of the genetic relationship between litter size and weight traits in Segureña sheep. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 77: 17–21.
4. Cripps, R.L., Green, L.R., Thomson, J., Martin-Gronert, M.S., Monk, M., Sheldon, I.M., Hanson, M.A., Hales, C.N., and Ozanne, S.E. 2008. The effect of maternal body condition score before and during pregnancy on the glucose tolerance of adult sheep offspring. Reproductive Sciences. 15: 448-456.
5. Dahal, I.M., and Darwesh, K.A.K. 2011. Effect of body condition score of Hamdani and Karadi ewes on their reproductive and meat productivity of their lambs. Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture. 39: 1-8.
6. Emami Meybodi, M.A., Torkamanzehi, A., Emamjomeh Kashan, N., Rahimi, Sh., Ghareh Daghi, A.A., and Vaez Torshizi, R. 1999. Effect of ewe size at mating on reproduction traits in Balouchi sheep at rural production system. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Science. 30: 673-684.
7. Esmaeili-Zadeh, A., Miraei Ashtiani, S.R., and Akbari Gharaei, A. 2003. Effects of ewe live weight and body condition at mating on fertility and lambing season of Kurdy sheep in extensive production system. Pajouhesh and Sazandegi. 61: 8-16.
8. Frutos, P., Mantecon, A.R., and Ciraldez, F.J. 1997. Relationship of body condition score and live weight with body composition in mature Churra ewes. Journal of Animal Science. 64: 447 -452.
9. Gabr, A.A., Shalaby, N.A., and Ahmed, M.E. 2016. Effect of ewe born type, growth rate and weight at conception on the ewe subsequent productivity of Rahmani sheep. Asian Journal of Animal Veterinary Advances. 11: 732-736.
10. Gardner, D.S., Buttery, P.J., Daniel, Z., and Symonds, M.E. 2007. Factors affecting birth weight in sheep: maternal environment. Reproduction Research. Online version. 133: 297-307.
11. Gonzalez, R.E., Labuonora, D., and Russel, A.J.E. 1997. The effects of ewe live weight and body condition score around mating on production from four sheep breeds in extensive grazing systems in Uruguay.Journal of Animal Science. 64: 139-145.
12. Jalilian, M.T., and Moeini, M.M. 2013. The effect of body condition score and body weight of Sanjabi ewes on immune system, productive and reproductive performance. Acta Argicuturae Slovenica. 102: 99-106.
13. Jefferies, B.C. 1961. Body condition scoring and its use in management. Tasmanian Journal of Agriculture. 32: 19-26.
14. Karakus, F., and Atmaca, M. 2016. The effect of ewe body condition at lambing on growth of lambs and colostral specific gravity. Archives Animal Breeding. 59: 107–112.
15. Keinprecht, H., Pichler, M., Pothmann, H., Huber, J., Iwersen, M., and Drillich, M. 2016. Short term repeatability of body fat thickness measurement and body condition scoring in sheep as assessed by a relatively small number of assessors. Small Ruminant Research. 139: 30-38.
16. Kenyon, P.R., Hickson, R.E., Hutton, P.G., Morris, S.T., Stafford, K.J., and West, D.M. 2012. Effect of twin-bearing ewe body condition score and late pregnancy nutrition on lamb performance. Journal of Animal Production Science. 52: 483–490.
17. Kenyon, P.R., Maloney, S.K., and Blache, D. 2014. Review of sheep body condition score in relation to production characteristics. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, (ahead-of-print), 1-27.
18. Koycu, E., Sezenler, T., Ozder, M., and Karadag, O. 2008. The relationship between body weight and body condition score in Karacabey Merino ewes. Journal of Tekirdag Agricultural Faculty. 5: 61-65.
19. Mathias-Davis, H.C., Shackell, G.H., Greer, G.J., Bryant, A.I., and Everett-Hincks, J.M. 2013. Ewe body condition score and the effect on lamb growth rate. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 73: 131-135.
20. Mirshamsollahi, A., and Azizi, R.A. 2016. Improvement of fertility performance of Farahani ewes raised on supplementary feeding. Iranian Journal of Applied Animal Science. 6: 113-118.
21. Moeini, M.M., Aliyari, D., and Shahir, M.H. 2011. Effect of body condition score on some blood biological parameters and reproductive performance of Afshari ewes. Veterinary Journal of Islamic Azad University. 5: 25-31.
22. Mona Mohammady, I., and Hammam, A.H. 2012. Impact of body condition score on the reproductive performance of Barki sheep. Egyptian Journal of Animal Production. 49: 285-291.
23. Morgan-Davies, C., Waterhouse, A., Pollock, M.L., and Milner, J.M. 2008. Body condition score as an indicator of ewe survival under extensive conditions. Animal Welfare. 17: 71-77.
24. Ptacek, M., Duchacek, J., Stadnik, L., Beran, J., and Stolc, L. 2014. Effects of ewe’s live weight and backfat thickness at mating on fertility and production performance in Suffolk sheep and their crosses. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science. 20: 1261-1267.
25. Rajab, M.H., Cartwright, T.C., Dahm, P.F., and Pfiguerirdo, E. A. 1992. Performance of three tropical hair sheep breeds. Journal of Animal Science. 70: 3351-3359.
26. Russel, A.J.F., Doney, J.M., and Gunn, R.G. 1969. Subjective assessment of body fat in live sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science Cambridge. 72: 451- 454.
27. Sari, M., Onk, K., Aksoy, A.R. and Tilki, M. 2013. The effect of body condition score in Tuj sheep at lambing on the lamb growth traits and live ability]. Firat Universitesi Saglik Bilimleri Veteriner Dergisi. 27: 149-154. (In Turkish).
28. Sejian, V., Maurya, V.P., Naqvi, S.M.K., Kumar, D., and Joshi, A. 2009. Effect of induced body condition score differences on physiological response, productive and reproductive performance of Malpura ewes kept in a hot, semi-arid environment. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition. 94: 154–161.
29. Sezenler, T., Ozder, M., Yildirir, M., Ceyhan, A., and Yuksel, M.A. 2011. The relationship between body weight and body condition score some indigenous sheep breeds in Turkey. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences. 21: 443-447.
30. Staykova, G., Penchev, P., and Stancheva, N. 2013. Interrelationship between body condition score at different physiological statuses and some economic traits in the Caucasian sheep breed. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science. 19: 1105-1111.
31. Vatankhah, M., Moradi Shahr Babak, M., Nejati Javaremi, A., Vaez Torshizi, R., and Miraei Ashtiani, S.R. 2005. Evaluation of phenotypic and genetic properties for growth traits in Lori-Bakhtiari lambs. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Science. 46: 1455-1463.
32. Vatankhah, M., Talebi, M.A., and Zamani, F. 2012. Relationship between ewe body condition score (BCS) at mating and reproductive and productive traits in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep. Small Ruminant Research. 106: 105-109.
33. Walkom, S.F. 2016. Importance of ewe and cow body condition in breeding programs. Proceedings of the 31st Biennial Conference of the Australian Society of Animal Production. Adelaide, Glenelg, South Australia.
34. Walkom, S.F., and Brown, D.J. 2016. Genetic evaluation of adult ewe bodyweight and condition: relationship with lamb growth, reproduction, carcass and wool production. Journal of Animal Production Science. 57: 20-32.
35. Yilmaz, M., Altin, T., Karaca, O., Cemal, I., Bardakcioglu, H.E., Yilmaz, O., and Taskin, T. 2011. Effect of body condition score at mating on the reproductive performance of Kivircik sheep under an extensive production system. Tropical Animal Health Production. 43: 1555–1560.
36. Yilmaz, O., Denk, H., and Bayram, D. 2007. Effects of lambing season, sex and birth type on growth performance in Norduz lambs. Small Ruminant Research. 68: 336-339.