[Jacob-list] breeding age

[Unzicker]

My experience has been similar to Robin's.  We breed some ewe lambs every year.  Usually they are not significantly smaller than others at one year of age.  But, we do give them grain the entire first year up to the time their lambs are weaned.  If they are smaller due to being bred young, they do catch up by age two or sooner.   Maybe I better knock on wood but we have had no lambing problems with with that group.   For me, the biggest disavantage is that the they usually lamb later, dragging out the lambing season.   Although this year that was not the case.  We only bred one ewe lamb. She was born 3/14/05 and had an eight pound lamb 2/14/06.   Both mom and daughter are doing well.   She is at least as big as our other yearlings.
Several years ago one of a set of twins weighed only 4.5 at birth.   She was healthy but never really caught up weight-wise with the others.  I "knew" she would't breed as a lamb so I did not take her away from the rest of the ewe lambs.  At just under 13 months she delieved a 6 lb lamb.   Again both did well.    This particular ewe is one of my smaller ones.  Not sure if it is because she conceived so young, becasue she was small at birth, a combinaiton of these two reasons or someting else.   
As far as life time productivity, I have read a number of studies that indicate the younger a ewe lambs the more productive she is over her life time.   Having said all this, I am not necessairly a proponent of breeding ewe lambs.  Just thought I'd share my experience.
Royal 
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