Effects of Prepubertal Growth Rate of Ewe Lambs on Their Subsequent Lamb and Milk Production

In many sheep production operations in the Midwestern and Eastern U.S., lambs are managed for maximum body weight gain and fed high-energy diets continuously from shortly after birth until they are marketed as slaughter lambs. Flock owners will replace 20 to 25% of the ewes in their flock each year with ewe lambs raised in their flock or purchased from other producers. Since all lambs in a flock generally are managed together, these replacement ewe lambs are often managed for maximum gains on high-energy diets along with the other lambs in the flock destined for slaughter. Management of all lambs as one group results in easier management and allows for more accurate selection of replacement ewe lambs for high average daily gain.