Ovine prenatal growth, its mathematical description and the effects of maternal nutrition

Comparisons are made among eight different types of equation that have been used to describe the growth of the sheep foetus in the last 12 weeks of gestation. The Gompertz equation is preferred to the others because it provides sensible estimates on extra- polation to 25 days after mating and its parameters can be interpreted in simple biological terms. A standardised form of the Gompertz equation can be employed in comparing foetal growth patterns between species.