Table 2 Distribution of housing and management factors during the indoor period recorded in the 327 flocks, which were included in the study of potential factors being associated with reproductive performance
Independent variable | Categories | No. of flocks | % of flocks |
|---|---|---|---|
Housing conditions | |||
Housing system | Insulated buildings | 221 | 67.6 |
Uninsulated buildings | 84 | 25.7 | |
Ventilation system | Controlled ventilation | 197 | 60.4 |
Natural openings | 129 | 39.6 | |
Mainly outdoors | 22 | 6.7 | |
Pen design and feeding system | Pens with separate feeding table | 266 | 81.3 |
Feeding racks inside the pen | 61 | 18.7 | |
Ewes per pen | ≤10 | 78 | 25.9 |
11-20 | 111 | 36.9 | |
21-40 | 82 | 27.4 | |
>40 | 30 | 10.0 | |
Flooring | Perforated floors/expanded metal - etc. | 255 | 78.3 |
Solid floors, deep litter | 51 | 16.6 | |
Combinations | 20 | 6.1 | |
Management | |||
Grouping of sheep at start of indoor period | According to age groups | 242 | 74.0 |
According to body condition | 40 | 12.2 | |
No systematic grouping/others | 45 | 13.8 | |
Regrouping during indoor period | Based on body condition | 91 | 27.8 |
Based on no. of foetuses (after scanning) | 195 | 59.6 | |
No particular grouping | 41 | 12.6 | |
Access to outdoor areas | No access | 249 | 76.9 |
Access during daytime | 36 | 11.1 | |
Access all 24 hours | 39 | 12.0 | |
Use of housing facilities during lambing seson | All sheep housed inside the house | 87 | 26.6 |
In the sheep house and other available housing facilities | 183 | 56.0 | |
In the sheep house and outdoors | 38 | 11.6 | |
Others | 19 | 5.8 |