Perinatal lamb losses

Abstract

Extract

The investigation of perinatal mortality in lambs has occupied, and will continue to occupy, the attention of research workers because of the serious nature of the losses and our relative impotence in controlling these losses. The task of assessing the situation is made more difficult because it is virtually impossible to compare the findings of various authors in different areas since the methods used differ so widely. If large between-area differences in the nature of perinatal mortality in lambs exists, this could account in part for the differences in opinion expressed by authors on the relative importance of the various components of the perinatal lamb loss problem. The existence of substantial between-area differences would underline the necessity for adopting standard methods.