Australian scientists explored the relationship between a ewe’s diet and the sex ratio of her lambs. They found that ewes had more male lambs when fed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in omega-6 fatty acids around breeding time. This diet was based on silage, similar to the fatty acid profile of pasture. In contrast, ewes fed a diet low in omega-3 and high in omega-6 fatty acids had a higher proportion of female lambs. These ewes were fed oats (70 per cent of the diet) and cottonseed meal (8 per cent of the diet). Note the diet was fed only around breeding; diets high in grain throughout gestation can lead to health problems in ewes around lambing time.
Improving Reproductive Efficiency in Ewes: Altering Nutrition at Joining to Increase Ovulation Rate and Influence the Sex Ratio of Offspring. Catherine Gulliver. PhD Thesis. Charles Sturt University and Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute. 2015.
- Janet Wallace