Abstract

MUELLER, J.P. Esquila preparto, una tecnología de adopción masiva y alto impacto en la producción ovina de la Patagonia. RIA. Rev. investig. agropecu. [online]. 2015, vol.41, n.3, pp.254-262. ISSN 1669-2314.

Pre-lambing shearing of sheep has advantages and disadvantages that depend on the environment and production system. Research conducted by INTA in Patagonia showed that pre-lambing shearing has significant benefits in terms of survival of lambs and quality of wool and offers no increased risk of death if certain precautions are taken. The experiences indicate that it is possible to increase lamb marking rates by 10 percentage points, improve wool combing yield by 7 percentage points and increase staple strength by 7 N/ktex. Based on this information pre-lambing shearing has been adopted progressively reaching about 40% of the sheep in the region. An economic valuation of that uptake indicates that the benefit to sheep production of Patagonia is approximately US$ 14.9 million, of which 31% is due to the higher value of wool and 69% to the value of the additional lambs.

Keywords : Lamb; Survival; Wool; Yield; Merino.