The relation of birth coat and lamb survival

Abstract

The coats of 13,788 single lambs in one Polwarth, four Merino, and three Corriedale flocks in the Western District of Victoria were graded at birth, and the coat grade related to survival of lambs beyond the twentieth day of life. The mean death rate of lambs varied widely (P<0.05) during the 3-4 years of the study, but only in one year, 1960, was there a significant association (P<0.05) between lamb survival and birth coat grade.