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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 November 2017
One of the major factors affecting the efficiency and profitability of sheep production is the number of lambs reared per ewe. In 1991 lambs reared per ewe accounted for 14% of the difference in gross margin per hectare between top third and average lowland spring lambing flocks (MLC, 1992). The hypothesis was developed that in managing the prolific ewe three possible management systems could be employed; frequent lambing (FL), early annual lambing (EAL), or late annual lambing (LAL). The choice of these lambing systems was based on minimising the problems of the prolific ewe. Of these systems FL (lambing on an eight month cycle), provided the best opportuity for achieving high numbers of lambs sold per ewe.