This study explores the agrarian economy of Romney Marsh and its hinterland, c. 1730-90. It offers a fresh contribution to current knowledge in respect of landlord-tenant relations, landholding structures and farming practice. Some 60 years are covered, framed within a wider context embracing two distinct and contrasting economic phases that characterized the long eighteenth century. Special reference to the Knatchbull family affords in-depth insight into an eighteenth century Kentish landed estate, whose interests lay on the marsh and its hinterland. There is an appraisal of the character and values of Sir Wyndham Knatchbull in his official and unofficial roles at the head of the community. Aspects of the Home Farm economy of Mersham Hatch are explored. Particular attention is paid to landlord-tenant relations, and the multi-dimensional nature of negotiations for substantial holdings on Walland Marsh. The impact of a windfall inheritance is seen when, from 1763, the seventh baronet succeeded to the estate. Using early Land Tax evidence for the region, there is a comprehensive analysis of landownership and land occupation structures, c. 1746-90. An unusually large area is covered, for an exceptionally early period, adding substantially to current knowledge. Marsh tax evidence discloses landownership and land occupation structures on Walland/Denge, 1738-91. Used in tandem with the tax listings, the wider interests of ‘dual-regional’ farmers are more fully appreciated, and for whom knowledge has hitherto been confined to their operations on the marsh. These findings, together with the investigation of previously unexplored aspects of farming practice, offer fresh insight into the symbiotic relationship between the marsh and its hinterland. The influence of ties of social obligation and market-led considerations on landlord-tenant relations are recurring themes. On the marsh, tenant initiative and market demand are seen as the main driving forces that re-shaped patterns of landholding over the period.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a atividade ovulatória ao longo do ano, as concentrações plasmáticas de melatonina e prolactina no período de 24 horas nos solstícios e equinócios de ovelhas lanadas Romney Marsh (10) e deslanadas Santa Inês (10) mantidas sob fotoperíodo natural em baixas latitudes no hemisfério Sul. Para o monitoramento da atividade ovulatória foram colhidas semanalmente sangue da veia jugular das fêmeas durante o período de um ano para determinação das concentrações plasmáticas de progesterona. Para a determinação das concentrações plasmáticas de prolactina e melatonina, foram realizadas colheitas de sangue a cada duas horas durante 24 horas nos dois solstícios e dois equinócios. As ovelhas das raças Santa Inês e Romney Marsh, apresentaram comportamento da atividade ovariana distintos, ou seja, as fêmeas lanadas foram estacionais, enquanto que as fêmeas deslanadas apresentaram atividade ovulatória o ano todo. O ciclo circadiano das concentrações plasmáticas de melatonina de ovelhas Romney Marsh e deslanadas Santa Inês apresentou um padrão sazonal idêntico, mas não apresentou um ritmo circanual. A duração da secreção noturna de melatonina acompanhou a duração do escotoperíodo de cada estação do ano. O perfil plasmático de prolactina de ovelhas Romney Marsh foi mais elevado que ovelhas Santa Inês em todas as estações, mas o padrão sazonal foi idêntico. As concentrações plasmáticas foram mais elevadas na primavera e no verão que no outono e inverno. / This study evaluated the ovulatory activity throughout the year, plasma melatonin and prolactin concentrations on 24 hours during solstices and equinoces on wool (Romney Marsh - 10) and hair (Santa Inês - 10) ewes kept under natural photoperiod and lower latitudes in the southern hemisphere. To monitor the ovulatory activity, blood samples were collected weekly from the jugular vein throughout the year to determine the plasma progesterone concentrations. To determine the plasma melatonin and prolactin concentrations blood samples were collected each two hours during 24 hours on the solstices and equinoces. Santa Inês and Romney Marsh females showed different ovulatory activity. Wool ewes showed a strong seasonality, and hair ewes were in ovulatory activity all the year. The circadian cycle of plasma melatonin concentrations from Romney Marsh and Santa Inês females showed the same seasonal pattern, and did not showed circannual pattern. The duration of nocturnal secretion plasma melatonin was the same of scotoperiod duration on each season of the year. The plasma prolactin profile from Romney Marsh ewes were higher than Santa Inês ewes in all seasons, but the seasonal pattern was identic. Plasma concentrations were higher in spring and summer than autumm and winter.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a atividade ovulatória ao longo do ano, as concentrações plasmáticas de melatonina e prolactina no período de 24 horas nos solstícios e equinócios de ovelhas lanadas Romney Marsh (10) e deslanadas Santa Inês (10) mantidas sob fotoperíodo natural em baixas latitudes no hemisfério Sul. Para o monitoramento da atividade ovulatória foram colhidas semanalmente sangue da veia jugular das fêmeas durante o período de um ano para determinação das concentrações plasmáticas de progesterona. Para a determinação das concentrações plasmáticas de prolactina e melatonina, foram realizadas colheitas de sangue a cada duas horas durante 24 horas nos dois solstícios e dois equinócios. As ovelhas das raças Santa Inês e Romney Marsh, apresentaram comportamento da atividade ovariana distintos, ou seja, as fêmeas lanadas foram estacionais, enquanto que as fêmeas deslanadas apresentaram atividade ovulatória o ano todo. O ciclo circadiano das concentrações plasmáticas de melatonina de ovelhas Romney Marsh e deslanadas Santa Inês apresentou um padrão sazonal idêntico, mas não apresentou um ritmo circanual. A duração da secreção noturna de melatonina acompanhou a duração do escotoperíodo de cada estação do ano. O perfil plasmático de prolactina de ovelhas Romney Marsh foi mais elevado que ovelhas Santa Inês em todas as estações, mas o padrão sazonal foi idêntico. As concentrações plasmáticas foram mais elevadas na primavera e no verão que no outono e inverno. / This study evaluated the ovulatory activity throughout the year, plasma melatonin and prolactin concentrations on 24 hours during solstices and equinoces on wool (Romney Marsh - 10) and hair (Santa Inês - 10) ewes kept under natural photoperiod and lower latitudes in the southern hemisphere. To monitor the ovulatory activity, blood samples were collected weekly from the jugular vein throughout the year to determine the plasma progesterone concentrations. To determine the plasma melatonin and prolactin concentrations blood samples were collected each two hours during 24 hours on the solstices and equinoces. Santa Inês and Romney Marsh females showed different ovulatory activity. Wool ewes showed a strong seasonality, and hair ewes were in ovulatory activity all the year. The circadian cycle of plasma melatonin concentrations from Romney Marsh and Santa Inês females showed the same seasonal pattern, and did not showed circannual pattern. The duration of nocturnal secretion plasma melatonin was the same of scotoperiod duration on each season of the year. The plasma prolactin profile from Romney Marsh ewes were higher than Santa Inês ewes in all seasons, but the seasonal pattern was identic. Plasma concentrations were higher in spring and summer than autumm and winter.

This dissertation deals with evaluation of lamb growth ability and lamb carcass value of Romney Marsh sheep breed. Monitoring and evaluation of lambs were conducted with 18 lambs on the family organic farm of Ing. Paul Šeliga in Vrbětice in the years 2014 to 2017. In the first charter, there are listed information about the importance and general characteristics of sheep breeding in the Czech republic. Then there are also included a development, trends and perspectives of sheep breeding in the Czech Republic. In the next section, it is described the issue of growth and carcass quality of lambs. The following is a characteristic of a farm in Vrbětice in district Zlin and characteristic of Romney Marsh sheep breed. In scope of this evaluation of lamb growth live weight at birth, in 100 days of age and before slaughter was observed. In term of monitoring there was traced influence of lamb sex on growth ability indicators, more precisely on live lamb weight and lambs´ daily weight gain. Effect of gender had inconclusive impact on most of monitored live weight. With regards to the daily weight gain, there was inconclusive effect of the above mentioned indicators on all daily weight gains. There was evaluated influence of lamb sex on carcass value during the monitoring all slaughter lambs. There has also been evaluated the slaughter yield, fattiness and flesh ratio of individual body parts. Results of check slaughter show that sex factor had inconclusive impact on most carcass value´s monitored indicators. Highly provable sex effect was recorded only on live weight before slaughter. Conclusive impact was recorded on slaughter ready body weight, kidney weight, weight of lamb kindey fat, weight of shoulders, kidney ratio, kidney fat ratio and shoulder ratio. On the other hand sex factor did not have evidential influence on slaughter age, slaughter yield, subjective grading, getting meatiness, fattiness, weight and proportion of skin, back and legs. From the point of view of the quality of the right leg, there was a very evident effect of sex on the proportion of fat from the leg, the apparent influence on the weight of the bones from the leg and the inconclusive influence on the weight of the leg, the weight of fat from the leg, the proportion of the meat from the leg and the proportion of the bones from the leg.

Este trabajo se realizó en el predio privado “El Maitén”, ubicado en la Xª Región, Provincia de Osorno, comuna de Purranque, en la Cordillera de la Costa; como parte del Proyecto de Producción de Leche Ovina del Departamento de Producción Animal de la Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas de la Universidad de Chile. Los objetivos del estudio fueron describir y comparar la curva de lactancia de ovejas Romney Marsh bajo dos sistemas de manejo, determinar su efecto sobre la producción de leche y la composición de ésta, así como sobre el crecimiento de los corderos desde el nacimiento hasta el destete. Se utilizaron dos sistemas de crianza-ordeña como tratamientos. El tratamiento 1 consistió en destete parcial de los corderos y ordeña simple de las ovejas desde la segunda semana posparto hasta los 17 kg. de peso vivo o 60 días de vida de los corderos, a continuación destete completo y doble ordeña de las ovejas hasta los 120 días de lactancia o una producción diaria inferior a 300 g. de leche por día. El tratamiento 2 utilizó los mismos criterios de destete y secado, diferenciándose solamente en el período predestete, en el que las ovejas no fueron ordeñadas y los corderos estuvieron permanentemente al pie de sus madres. Los tratamientos 1 y 2 contaron con 17 y 16 ovejas, respectivamente, todas entre 5º y 6º parto y con corderos machos ya sea en partos simples o dobles; las que fueron extraídas de un rebaño de 120 ovejas. La distribución se hizo al azar y las ovejas fueron entrando al ensayo en la medida que se producían las pariciones. Se midió la producción diaria de leche así como el contenido relativo de materia grasa, proteína cruda y sólidos totales de ésta. Para este efecto se realizaron controles lecheros individuales cada dos semanas, momento en que también se tomaron muestras individuales de leche para ser analizadas. Además se controló el peso y la condición corporal de las ovejas alternando la semana con la del control lechero. El crecimiento de los corderos se midió semanalmente desde el nacimiento hasta el destete. Las curvas de lactancia de T1 y T2 se ajustaron durante el período posdestete a las ecuaciones lineales Yt1 = 1245,18 - 47,835 * t (R=92,09%) y Yt2 = 1240,98 - 51,801 * t (R=99,33%). La producción acumulada del tratamiento 1 fue significativamente superior a la del 2 en un 61%, produciendo 67,4 y 41,7 kg, respectivamente (P<0,05). El contenido de materia grasa fue estadísticamente superior en el tratamiento 2, con un 7,8% contra un 6,3% del 1, no así en la producción acumulada, donde los tratamientos arrojaron 3,25 y 4,25 kg, respectivamente (P<0,05). En el caso del contenido de proteína cruda, de igual modo, el tratamiento 2 fue significativamente superior al 1, con un 6,5% y un 6,1%, respectivamente. En este caso la producción acumulada de proteína cruda si mostró diferencias significativas en favor del tratamiento 1, con 4,11 vs 2,71 kg. (P<0,05). Los sólidos totales mostraron una tendencia similar a la de la proteína cruda, superando significativamente el tratamiento 2 al 1 en el contenido de sólidos totales, 19,5% contra 17,8%; y el 1 al 2 en la producción acumulada de éstos, con 12,00 y 8,13 kg, respectivamente (P<0,05). Las curvas de crecimiento de los corderos se ajustaron a una función logística de la siguiente forma, Yt1 = 18,68/(1+2,78 * e0,34*t) e Yt2 = 19,29/(1+2,69 * e0,41*t), con R=99,7% y R=99,8%, respectivamente. El aumento de peso de los corderos fue significativamente superior en el tratamiento 2, mostrando 400 g/día vs 330 g/día del tratamiento 1 (R>0,05). Al medir el comportamiento del crecimiento de los corderos como días en alcanzar los 17 kg. de peso vivo, ocurre el mismo fenómeno, T2=44 días/17 kg. y T1=54 días/17 kg. (R>0,05). El ensayo permite concluir que bajo las condiciones de manejo del ensayo, para ovejas Romney Marsh, el sistema de crianza-ordeña influye significativamente en la cantidad total de leche oedeñada. El sistema de manejo produce cambios importantes en los niveles de producción y en la composición de la leche ordeñada, así como en el crecimiento de los corderos.