@conference {3672,
	title = {Evaluation of production traits of red deer skins in the Deer Progeny Test.},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {75},
	year = {2015},
	month = {07/2015},
	pages = {114-118},
	address = {Dunedin},
	abstract = { Skins, hides and leather from deer are a valuable co-product of New Zealand venison production. Measurement of skin traits was
included in the Deer Progeny Test to evaluate options for genetic selection, and to determine if selection for other production traits
risks diminishing the quality of deer skins and leather. Skins of slaughtered eleven-month-old progeny (n=310) from terminal
(wapiti crossbred) and maternal (red) sire types were evaluated for 18 different quantitative and qualitative traits throughout
processing to pearl-crust leather. All processing was carried out by New Zealand Light Leathers. All traits were analysed using
least squares means models with sire as the random term and pre-slaughter live weight as a covariate. For all traits except evenness
grade of the pearl-crust leather, the relationship with pre-slaughter live weight covariate was significant (p<0.05) and positive. Sire
had a significant effect (p<0.01) on eight traits including critical strength and finished-leather attributes (p<0.01), farm was also
significant for eight traits (p<0.01). Average skin thickness was similar to published values. Sire can have an effect on important
traits, and selection for higher slaughter weights of yearling red deer is predicted overall to increase the quality of skins and leather
produced.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Ward JF and Mathias-Davis HC and Cooper SM and Crawford EM and Wheeler M and Asher GW}
}
@conference {3678,
	title = {BRIEF COMMUNICATION: An evaluation of the sensory traits of venison},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {74},
	year = {2014},
	month = {06/2014},
	pages = {226-228},
	address = {Napier},
	abstract = {New Zealand venison is a well-regarded export product in Europe and quality is a key philosophy of the deer industry. As production targets increase understanding consumer preferences is important to ensure the eating quality of venison is maintained alongside these goals. Using data available from the Deer Progeny Test (Ward et al. 2014) this study aims to assess the quality of data from a sensory evaluation and investigate relationships between sensory traits and the overall acceptability of venison...},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Mathias-Davis HC and Ward JF and Dodds KG and Everett-Hincks JM and Maclennan G}
}
@conference {3678,
	title = {Design and implementation of the Deer Progeny Test (DPT)},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {74},
	year = {2014},
	month = {06/2014},
	pages = {220-225},
	address = {Napier},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Ward JF and Archer JA and Asher GW and Everett-Hincks JM and Mathias-Davis HC}
}
@conference {89238,
	title = {Ewe body condition score and the effect on lamb growth rate},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {73},
	year = {2013},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {131-135},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Hamilton},
	abstract = {<p>Data were analysed to investigate the association between ewe body condition score (BCS) and lamb growth rate (LGR). Ewe BCS was assessed on a scale of 1 to 5 pre-lambing (BCSL) and at weaning (BCSW). Change in BCS throughout lamb rearing (BCSChange) was calculated as the difference between BCS at weaning and pre-lamb. The three way interaction between birth rank, BCSL and BCSChange was significant (P \&lt;0.05). When the interaction was examined for birth rank, it was significant between BCSL and BCSChange in singles (P \&lt;0.05) and twins (P \&lt;0.01), but not in triplets. In singles and twins, lambs with the highest LGR were from dams that had high BSCL and negative BCSChange or those with low BCSL and positive BCSChange. Triplets had a similar trend whereby lambs with the highest LGR were from dams with a high BCSL and a negative BCSChange. This study suggests that if farmers manage their ewes to achieve a high BCS at lambing time this is likely to improve lamb growth to weaning. In addition, identifying ewes with a low BCS at lambing and preferentially feeding them to increase BCS during rearing may increase single and twinlamb growth rates.</p>
},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Mathias-Davis HC and Shackell GH and Greer GJ and Bryant AL and Everett-Hincks JM}
}
@conference {75875,
	title = {The association of ewe body condition score with weight of lamb weaned},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {71},
	year = {2011},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {62-65},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Invercargill},
	abstract = {Data from 1,301 ewes lambing in 2009 were analysed to investigate the association of body condition score (BCS) with total lamb weaned (TLW). BCS was assessed on a scale of 0-5 at mating (BCSM), scanning (BCSS), pre-lambing (BCSL) and weaning (BCSW) and categorized as <3, 3-3.5 and >3.5. Ewe age, flock, live weight at mating (LWM) and date of lambing (DOB) had significant effects on TLW (P <0.05). Ewes having triplets at birth with >3.5 and 3-3.5 BCSM had a higher TLW (63.2, 63.0 kg respectively; P<0.05) than ewes with triplets at birth and <3 BCSM (56.1 kg). Ewes with 3-3.5 BCSS had higher TLW than ewes with >3.5 BCSS for all birth ranks (49.8 kg, 47.2 kg respectively, P <0.05). There was no association between BCSL and TLW. Ewes with <3 or 3-3.5 BCSW had a significantly higher TLW than ewes with >3.5 BCSW (>3.5 = 43.8 kg, 3-3.5 = 48.9 kg, <3 = 50.9 kg; P <0.001). This study indicates ewes with 3-3.5 BCSS or <3 or 3-3.5 BCSW outperform ewes with >3.5 BCSS or >3.5 BCSW.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Mathias-Davis HC and Shackell GH and Greer GJ and Everett-Hincks JM}
}
@conference {69499,
	title = {Effect of litter weight variation on cause of death and survival in triplet lambs},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {70},
	year = {2010},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {175-179},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {Triplet litter weight variation and association with lamb death and ewe age was investigated. Litter weight percentage for each lamb was calculated (PLWT). The mean and standard deviation of PLWT were used to rank lambs as Light (<Mean - 1 standard deviation unit (SD)), Medium (Mean +/- 1 SD) or Heavy (>Mean + 1 SD). Average probability of viability at birth and death by dystocia or starvation exposure changed with weight rank. Viability at birth was Light 89.3\%, Confidence interval (CI) 87.5\% - 90.8\%; Medium 95.6\%, CI 95.1\% - 96.1\%; Heavy 98.0\%, CI 97.4\% - 98.5\%, (P <0.001). Death due to dystocia was Light 8.9\%, CI 7.2\% - 10.8\%; Medium 3.4\%, CI 2.9\% - 4.0\%; Heavy 2.1\%, CI 1.6\% - 2.8\%, (P <0.001). Death from starvation exposure was Light 5.9\%, CI 4.8\% - 7.4\%; Medium 3.7\%, CI 3.0\% - 4.5\%; Heavy 1.3\%, CI 0.8\% - 2.1\%, (P <0.01). Ewe litter weight variation (EwePLVar) was calculated as weight range divided by total litter weight. Older ewes had less EwePLVar than two-year-old ewes (P <0.01). EwePLVar and average litter weight (AveLWT) affected litter survival (EwePLVar at birth, (P <0.001), birth to Day 3 (P <0.01). Average litter weight at birth (P <0.05), birth to Day 3 (P <0.01) and Day 3 to weaning (P <0.001)).},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Mathias-Davis HC and Yuan JV and Everett-Hincks JM}
}
