The effect of shearing on the appetite of two‐tooth ewes

Abstract

Abstract Twenty two‐tooth Romney ewes were individually fed ad libitum in outdoor pens for 15 weeks, Ten ewes were shorn six weeks after the experiment commenced and the other 10 were left as unshorn controls. Intakes were recorded daily. After shearing, the appetite of the shorn sheep increased for a period of six weeks. The maximum difference (per kg liveweight) between the shorn and unshorn sheep was 39 per cent. Liveweight increased throughout the experiment at the same rate in both groups. Some implications of these findings are discussed.