The Soay lamb gender coin toss in action
Not long after I put up the post about gender odds in British Soay lambs, it was pointed out to me that since history is no predictor, what’s going on this year?
So far, the numbers are not good, but it’s still early in the lambing season.
I thought about putting a daily tabulation here, but why increase angst levels when a weekly summary smooths the edges? Here goes.
[table th=”0″ colalign=”center|center|center|center|center”]
2014 Saltmarsh Ranch British Soay Lamb Gender Split [attr colspan=”4″ style=”font-weight: bold;”]
Week, Total Lambs, # Ewe Lambs, # Ram Lambs, weekly % ewe lambs, cumulative % ewe lambs
1, 1, 0, 1, 0%, 0%
2, 5, 1, 4, 20%, 17%
3, 12, 5, 7, 42%, 33%
[/table]
If I didn’t have a gruff scientist-statistician looking over my shoulder, I would be tempted to say we are on our way to fifty-fifty and we just need additional lambs to get there, but I know better.
And besides, maybe the phone will ring and a familiar voice from a few years ago will ask, “how’s that gender-y lamb-y thing working out for ya?”
For now …