When is the primary breeding season for most sheep breeds?

The primary breeding season for most sheep breeds is in the fall. During this time, sheep are naturally inclined to breed due to environmental cues such as the decrease in daylight hours, which triggers reproductive hormones in the sheep. Breeding in the fall allows for lambing to occur in the spring, which is advantageous because it aligns with the warmer weather and the availability of new grass for nursing ewes and their lambs. This timing supports better lamb survival rates and overall growth.

While spring, winter, and summer have their own significance in the agricultural calendar, they do not align with the natural reproductive cycles of sheep. Spring is often associated with lambing rather than breeding, winter can be too harsh for breeding and gestation, and summer typically does not provide the necessary conditions for optimal breeding behavior. Thus, fall is indeed the season when most sheep breeds are primed for reproduction.