[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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Examination was made of the behavior patterns of individuals and groups relationships of 18 ewes within and outside a herd environment. Representative behavior could be observed for a period of 4.6/5min. The duration of leader influence on a follower was 0.92 min on the average.
The longest periods of time were spent for communication between two ewes or a group of six ewes before and after herding. For a groups of six animals prior to herding, the time for communication was 30min. For groups of four or seven animals, time spent in communication was significantly correlated (P<0.05) to the speed of body movement. In a group of six animals, body movement could be visually observed to occur as mutual response over a period of 20 to 30min. The animals would then regroups as 3 or 4 or 2 animals to a groups. Within the herd, both groups formation and disruption were observed. All smaller groups showed similar patterns of behavior.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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Oesophageal and rumen fistulated sheep (av. 30kg BW) were used to determine the changes of weight, dry matter content, digestibility and particle size distribution of regurgitated boli within a day. They were fed alfalfa hay cube for 2 hours once a day.
1) Total regurgitated bolus amount within a day was 3391g/ head ·day. 2) The bolus weight per regurgitation distributed between 5g and 80g although the most frequently observed bolus weight was 20g. 3) It was estimated that average weight of bolus per regurgitation was 1g/kg BW. 4) The dry matter content of regurgitated bolus was 7.4%.It decreased slightly as time lapsed after feeding. 5) The dry matter disappearance rate of the boli measured by nylon bag in vivo was 50.4%. No definite change was observed within a day. 6) Average particle size distribution of the boli was 14%, 42% and 44% in large (>1190 μm), small (1190-45μm) and soluble (<45μm) fractions, respectively. The large particle fraction decreased as time lapsed after feeding but the other two fractions almost remained unchanged. 7) The average of mean particle diameter of the boli was 635 μm with no exact difference between sampling time within a day.

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[in Japanese]

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The litter size, birth weight, mortality and days up to death in the 563 lambs of three breeds of Suffolk (SF), Corriedale (CO) and Cheviot (CH) were investigated. And influences of vaginal prolapse and blood collecting from ewes on lambs were also investigated.
The average litter sizes were 1.6 in the three breeds, and no significant differences between breeds were observed. Year differences indicated similar result of the breeds. The birth weights between SF, CO and CH were 3.58, 3.34 and 3.13 kg, respectively and they showed significant differences (P<0.05) each other. The average birth weight of male lambs was heavier than female by 0.26 kg (P<0.05). In the birth weight, single was heavier than twin, and twin was heavier than triplet (P<0.05). Mortality of lambs was not significant difference among three breeds and sex, but the effects of year indicated large variances. This showed effects of year affected by raising environment.
Litter size was very important for mortality. The mortality increased with litter size. Days up to death were not significant among breeds and sex. But, on the litter size, there were significant difference between single, twin and triplet. Lambs in triplet died earlier.
Vaginal prolapse showed only the breed of SF. Vaginal prolapse had no effect on lambs' mortality and days up to death, but lambs from vaginal prolapse died early. Ewes that had virginal prolapse indicated high mortality ratio (43%) than normal ewes.
The herd differences of blood collection or not were not significant on all traits, but lambs born from the herd of collection blood died earlier than not collected.

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Eight Suffolk ewes carrying twin fetuses were offered ammoniated rice straw ad libitum and 2 levels of concentrate during last 6 weeks of pregnancy. Ewes were individually penned indoors on slatted wooden floors, and offered either 0.6% or 0.9% body weight of concentrate at the basis of dry matter. All ewes gave birth to sound twin lambs. After lambing, ewes rearing twin lambs were offered 1.4% concentrate during first 8 weeks of lactation, and 1.1% concentrate during last 9 weeks of lactation. Ewes were offered ammoniated rice straw ad libitum throughout 17 weeks of lactation. Lambs were offered starter from 2 weeks of age, and ammoniated rice straw from 8 weeks of age.
During last 6 weeks of pregnancy, total intakes of crude protein and total digestible nutrients in ewes offered 0.9% concentrate were higher than those offered 0.6% concentrate. Dry matter intakes of ammoniated rice straw were 0.75-0.85, 1.10-1.29 and 1.46-1.63% of body weight during late pregnancy, first and last lactation respectively. In both treatments, blood concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate increased during late pregnancy until lambing and then declined throughout lactation. The ewes offered 0.9% concentrate had higher increase in body weight during late pregnancy, and gave birth to heavier lambs than those offered 0.6% concentrate. After lambing, the ewes offered 0.9% concentrate had higher decline than those offered 0.6% concentrate in body weight during first lactation. In both treatments, their lambs had rapid growth into 40.9-43.6kg body weight at 17 weeks of age.
It is concluded that we can raise pregnant and lactating ewe, and her rearing lambs by feeding ammoniated rice straw and concentrate.

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The effects and factors of breeds, part of body and herds in Japanese domestic wool traits were investigated. The fleeces were greasy wool sampled from all over Japan, and breeds were Suffolk (SF), Corriedale (Co), Poll Dorset (PO) and F1 (SB) of Southdown by Booroola Dorset. The total number of fleece was nine, and parts of wool were neck, shoulder, back, side, britch and tags. The traits investigated were staple length, crimp number per cm, fiber diameter, admixture of plant substance and others, yield rate, compressed elasticity and water absorption.
The traits' values of staple length, crimp number and fiber diameter shifted gradually from the part of neck to tags. The effect of herd was considerably large, and almost of traits of wool were significantly different. The simple correlation between compressed elasticity and staple length or fiber diameter were negative, and was positive between that and crimp number. The yield rate was not good when the compressed elasticity was high so that the correlation between them was negative.
These results indicated that it is important to making an effort to improve raising management for good yield rate in Japanese domestic wool production.

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[in Japanese]

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