1 optimization of production marketing cycles for sheep a gartshore funded research project revised december 1999 jw fisher kemptville college university guelph abstract t his study aimed to determine which system would provide the most contribution margin given lamb size price and cost specified time period three systems were modeled spring lambing winter accelerated focused on seven year 1992 1998 inclusive actual market consensus meetings held each in was then indexed back over years optimizing maximizing computer models designed one ewe have earned 357 20 earn 516 78 per an 754 87 star where ewes are bred every other month throughout falls 633 34 preferred born lambs heavy