Hoggets

• Ewe hogget breeding


  Breeding of female sheep under 1 year old
• Reasons to breed ewe hoggets

  • Increase total lifetime performance
  • Increase number of lambs born each year within the flock
  • Better utilisation of spring feed (more demand)
  • Early selection tool for ewe replacements
  • Increased financial returns
  • More ewe lambs for selection as replacements
  • Increase genetic gain if replacements selected from lambs born to ewe hoggets
• Reasons farmers indicate they do not breed ewe hoggets

  • Negative affects on two-tooth liveweight
  • Negative affects on two-tooth performance
  • Extra workload
  • Poor and varied hogget reproductive performance
  • More rams required
  • Is length of time on the flock reduced?
• Hogget lambing percentage has increased, but still only a third of hoggets bred
• Hogget lambs account for 6% of total lambs weaned in NZ
• Hogget breeding can increase cash operating surplus (COS)


  But mature ewe performance may affect decisions made
• Target setting and monitoring

  Set monthly live weight targets, monitor live weight, compare target to actual, the earlier you identify a problem the easier it is to fix, offer good quality feed at high allowances
• Hogget breeding performance based on % of their subsequent mature weight

  Achieving more than 65% of mature live weight is a better guide for suitability for breeding than a live weight target
• Impact of body condition score at breeding

  Target minimum BCS of 2.5 (ideally 3.0)
• Management of ewe hoggets before breeding

  1. Vaccinations for infections disease should be given

  2. Ewe lambs should be shorn at least one month before breeding as this should encourage growth

  3. Ewe hoggets should not be lighter than 40kg

  4. Condition scores should be 2.5 or greater

  5. Expose hoggets to vasectomised rams (teasers) beginning 17 days before entire ram introduction
• Ewe lamb breed effects on reproductive performance

  East Friesian and Finn breeds and their crosses display the highest hogget breeding performance, Coopworth display the highest performance levels of the traditional breed types
• Management during breeding


  1. Breeding generally a month after the main ewe flock

  2. Hoggets are 'shy' breeders - display a less intense oestrus behavior, less likely to seek the ram, less likely to stand for the ram, oestrus tends to be shorter in duration than mature ewes

  3. Longer breeding period = higher the lambing percentage, but there will be a lot of later born lambs

  4. Higher reproductive rates in smaller flat paddocks

  5. Lower ewe to ram ratios (i.e. 1:70 rather than 1:100)

  6. Avoid use of ram hoggets

  7. Do not mix mature ewes with ewe hoggets during breeding
• Management of ewe hoggets during pregnancy


  1. The young hogget herself should still be gaining live weight during her pregnancy and lactation, ideally at the weaning of her lambs she should weigh 53 to 55+ kg

  2. Ewe lambs should avoid high growth rates in pregnancy (250+ g/d) as this may result in higher fetal loss in pregnancy

  3. To maximise the weight of the ewe hogget and her offspring at weaning she needs to be gaining 130 - 150 g/d in total live weight throughout pregnancy

  4. Mid pregnancy shearing can be used with ewe hoggets

  5. Separate single- and multiple-bearing ewe hoggets in late pregnancy and lactation

  6. Avoid weaning lambs born to ewe hoggets later than 10 weeks of age
• Ewe hogget breeding can be used as a selection tool for two-tooths

  Hoggets that fail to lamb are likely to display poorer performance on average as a two-tooth than those that did lamb
• Longevity in the flock is not negatively affected if ewe hoggets meet hogget and 2-tooth live weight /BCS targets
• Due to being pregnant as a hogget, lifetime performance in terms of total lamb weaned is improved by 0.8 to 1.3 lambs (on average) if they are well managed
• Ram lambs / hoggets for breeding

  Decrease the generation interval and thus increase genetic gain, cheaper source of rams
• Management of hogget rams pre-breeding

  They need to undergo all the same tests as a mature ram, they need to be in good body condition
• Management of ram / hoggets during breeding

  Best used in teams, not in mixed aged ram teams, used for 17 days only, use smaller, flatter paddocks, lower ewe : ram ratios (i.e. 30 – 50:1), not ideal for use with synchronised ewes and young ewes