Limits on hogget lambing: the fertility of the young ewe

Increasing the number of lambs with high quality meat weaned per ewe, optimised for each farm system, is a key mechanism to improve the overall efficiency of sheep production. Lambing hoggets (yearlings) has long been identified as one way to improve efficiency, with the potential to maintain or increase production within the same environmental footprint. However the adoption of hogget lambing in New Zealand remains low due to both negative perception of the practice among farmers, and poor reproductive performance in hoggets. In this review we describe the processes contributing to reproductive success in hoggets, outline the research that underpins industry guidelines for lambing hoggets, and identify knowledge gaps and potential for improvement in hogget lambing efficiency.