Table 1 Least-square means for body reserves (± standard error) at each physiological stage of ewes according to parity, litter size class and age of the ewe at first lambing

N Obs.

2069

2167

2167

2162

1983

1317

2084

1776

Parity

1

47.3

2.91 (0.01) a

2.96 (0.01) a

2.76 (0.01) a

2.62 (0.01) a

2.52 (0.01) a

2.55 (0.01) a

2.48 (0.008) a

2.57 (0.01) a

2

38.9

2.69 (0.01) b

2.87 (0.01) b

2.73 (0.01) b

2.65 (0.01) b

2.57 (0.01) b

2.64 (0.02) b

2.56 (0.01) b

2.67 (0.01) b

3

13.8

2.73 (0.02) c

2.95 (0.02) ac

2.84 (0.02) c

2.70 (0.02) c

2.65 (0.02) c

2.64 (0.02) b

2.61 (0.01) c

2.66 (0.02) b

Sign.

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

Litter size class

0

13.3

2.79 (0.02) ac

2.93 (0.02)

2.79 (0.02) ab

2.75 (0.02) a

2.82 (0.02) a

3.04 (0.03) a

2.97 (0.02) a

2.89 (0.03) a

1

20.5

2.78 (0.02) ac

2.94 (0.01)

2.83 (0.01) b

2.76 (0.01) a

2.67 (0.01) b

2.65 (0.02) b

2.55 (0.01) b

2.68 (0.01) b

2

24.3

2.80 (0.01) ab

2.93 (0.01)

2.77 (0.01) a

2.62 (0.01) b

2.54 (0.01) c

2.55 (0.02) c

2.49 (0.01) c

2.58 (0.02) c

3

24.6

2.78 (0.01) ab

2.93 (0.01)

2.76 (0.01) a

2.63 (0.01) b

2.47 (0.01) d

2.42 (0.02) d

2.39 (0.1) d

2.52 (0.1) d

4

17.3

2.74 (0.02) c

2.91 (0.02)

2.72 (0.02) c

2.53 (0.01) c

2.40 (0.01) e

2.39 (0.02) e

2.34 (0.01) e

2.48 (0.02) d

Sign.

*

NS

***

***

***

***

***

***

Age at first lambing

1

47.5

2.83 (0.01) a

2.90 (0.01) a

2.76 (0.01)

2.66 (0.01)

2.58 (0.01)

2.60 (0.02)

2.53 (0.01) a

2.56 (0.01) a

2

52.5

2.73 (0.01) b

2.96 (0.01) b

2.78 (0.01)

2.66 (0.01)

2.57 (0.01)

2.62 (0.02)

2.57 (0.01) b

2.70 (0.01) b

Sign.

***

***

NS

NS

NS

NS

***

***

Year

Sign.

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

Parity*Litter size class

Sign.

***

*

*

*

***

***

***

***

Age at first lambing*Litter size class

Sign.

***

*

***

NS

*

***

*

**