@conference {40791,
	title = {Ewe maternal behaviour score and lamb growth: Ten years on},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {56},
	year = {1996},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {107-109},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Maternal Behaviour Score (MBS) has previously been positively  associated with lamb weaning weight. This study further investigated the  effects of MBS and other ewe behaviours on the growth rate of 111 Scottish  Blackface lambs to weaning. Four variables which had a significant effect  on growth rate in a stepwise regression analysis were: birthweight (p<0.05),  pre-lambing and early post-lambing ewe liveweights (p<0.001) and MBS  (p<0.05). The relationship between MBS and lamb growth rate was not  linear. An increase in MBS from 2 to 3 was associated with the greatest  increase (10\%) in growth rate. MBS was correlated to the frequency of ewe  calling (p<0.01) and ewe head up, alert posture (p<0.01) observed during  undisturbed field interactions. These behaviours are used to maintain contact  between the ewe and lamb, and are indicators of ewe awareness. Therefore,  MBS is a good indicator not only of lamb growth but also of the strength of  the pre-weaning ewe-lamb relationship.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {O{\textquoteright}Connor CE}
}
