Change of skeletal dimensions during growth in sheep: the effect of nutrition

Abstract

Summary: Measurements of skeletal size were made at 2–3-month intervals on 30 Border Leicester × Merino castrate male (wether) sheep between 2 and 27 months of age. Fifteen sheep were fed ad libitum on a high-quality diet and the other 15 half the average amount consumed by the first group, age for age. The ad libitum group grew faster and were larger in all body dimensions on each occasion, except for leg length at 27 months which showed no statistical difference between groups. When the groups were compared over the live-weight range common to both (16–44 kg) the unrationed animals were consistently wider at the shoulders but smaller in leg and chest dimensions.The relationship between each body component and age is described by a Mitscherlich equation and the relationship with live weight by a linear equation in which both variables are log transformed. Separate relationships were determined for each sheep and tested for differences within and between groups.