The Relationship Between The Survival Rate Of Lambs And The Amount Of Cubs In The Litter

Abstract Safety and polycarpous in sheep farming is one of the most important factors determining the economic efficiency of the industry. The increase in the number of lambs in the litter is accompanied by undesirable phenomena, such as weight loss and linear measurements of the fetus and, as a result, this affects their survival. The aim of the research was to study the relationship of the polycarpous of sheep with the safety of lambs. A litter of Romanov breed sheep (n = 28) and their hybrids with argali (n = 57) was studied. For statistical data analysis used SPSS V.15.0. To determine the relationship between the number of lambs in the litter and their safety, contingency tables and the chi-squared test were used. Ewes were inseminated during the breeding season (October – November). The 210 lambs were obtained from 85 ewes. The safety of lambs up to 4 months of age averaged 63%. However, this figure, depending on the number of lambs in the litter, was significantly different. The safety of the lambs from ewes that have been the only ones was 100% before the retention, where there were twins - the safety was 85%. More than 48% of lambs from litter with three cubs were perished in the first months of life. Up to 4 months of age in a litter of 5 lambs survived 33% of those born (n = 5). The numbers of cubs in the litter were affected to the safety of the lambs, which can be argued from the obtained results. This is also evidenced by the obtained difference between the expected and actual mortality rates in litters and the significant chi-squared value. The study was supported by the RSF within Project no.18-16-00079.