Lamb survival in relation to lambing and neonatal behaviour in medium wool Merino lines divergently selected for multiple rearing ability

Abstract

Summary. Two lines of Merino sheep were divergently selected from the same base population since 1986 on maternal ranking values for multiple rearing ability. In the high (H) line, ewe and ram progeny were preferably descended from ewes that reared >1 lamb per joining. In the low (L) line, replacements were the progeny of ewes that reared 10 s, but H line lambs were quicker (P