Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T16:01:39.178Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cashmere production from feral and imported cashmere goat kids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

S. C. Bishop  and
A. J. F. Russel
S. C. Bishop
Affiliation:
AFRC Roslin Institute (Edinburgh)†, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
A. J. F. Russel
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Hartwood Research Station, Shotts, Lanarkshire ML7 4JY
Get access

Abstract

Cashmere production was evaluated on Scottish feral (F) goats, on goats imported from Iceland (I), Tasmania (T), New Zealand (N) and Siberia (S), and on two- and three-way crosses between feral and imported lines. Evaluations were based on the weight of cashmere in 10 cm2 mid-side patch samples taken at 5 months of age, with annual cashmere production being predicted from sample cashmere and body weights. Data were collected on 121 purebred and 706 crossbred kids of both sexes. Mean fibre diameter for the F, I, T, N and S lines was 13-75 (s.e. = 0.82), 14·04 (s.e. 0·41), 16·13 (s.e. 0·35), 16·63 (s.e. 0·49) and 17·97 (s.e. 0·50) μm, mean estimated annual cashmere production was 37·3 (s.e. 71·3), 914 (s.e. 31·7), 227·1 (s.e. 28·1), 275·1 (s.e. 42·5) and 579·8 (s.e. 44·7) g, and mean live weight was 15·71 (s.e. 2·16), 17·65 (s.e. 0·93), 16·39 (s.e. 0·83), 16·53 (s.e. 1·28) and 21·9 (s.e. 1·28) kg, respectively. Significant positive heterosis existed between some lines for body weight and cashmere production, with the I line goats consistently showing the largest effects. Combining fibre diameter and cashmere production by their relative economic importance into an index designed to indicate the total value of the fibre produced by each genotype, the cashmere production index, reduced the large production differences between the lines, although the S line was still superior to all other lines. When the cashmere production index was adjusted to account for the economic importance of fibre colour, however, the T and N lines, the only lines which produced white fibre, were comparable to the S line. The cashmere production index for the S line was very sensitive to changes in the relative economic weight for fibre diameter, and if the price differential for high quality (i.e. fine) fibre was increased by a factor of 1·36, or greater, then the T and N lines were superior to the S line. Three-way cross means were estimated from line means and heterosis effects. No cross was consistently superior to all other genotypes, but several of the crosses showed the advantages of potentially producing white fibre as well as having high cashmere production indexes, with their indexes being insensitive to changes in the relative economic weights. Future selection for cashmere production in this population should concentrate on individuals of outstanding genetic merit, regardless of their line or cross.

Keywords

cashmere goatscrossbreedingfibre qualityheterosis
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 58 , Issue 1 , February 1994 , pp. 135 - 144
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bigham, M. L., Morris, C. A., Southey, B. R. and Baker, R. L. 1993. Heritabilities and genetic correlations for live weight and fibre traits in New Zealand cashmere goats. Livestock Production Science 33: 91–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bishop, S. C. and Wray, N. R. 1993. Genetics of fibre production in cashmere goats. Proceedings of European Community scientific workshop: alternative animals for fibre production In press.Google Scholar
Couchman, R. C. and McGregor, B. A. 1983. A note on the assessment of down production in Australian ‘cashmere’ goats. Animal Production 36: 317–320.Google Scholar
Couchman, R. C. and Wilkinson, J. L. 1988. Genetic improvement of cashmere. Proceedings of the seventh conference, Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics, pp. 517–520.Google Scholar
Eady, S. J., O'Rourke, P. K. and Rose, M. 1988. Repeatability of cashmere fleece characteristics in a flock of goats in Western Queensland. Proceedings of the seventh conference, Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics, pp. 521–524.Google Scholar
Falconer, D. S. 1981. Introduction to quantitative genetics. Longman, London.Google Scholar
International Wool Textile Organisation. 1989. Specification IWTO-8-89E. International Wool Secretariat, Ilkley, UK.Google Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1983. GENSTAT a general statistical program. Numerical Algorithms Group Limited.Google Scholar
MacLeod, I. M. 1988. Genetic improvement of feral goats for cashmere production. M.Sc. thesis, University of Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Millar, P. 1986. The performance of cashmere goats. Animal Breeding Abstracts 54: 181–199.Google Scholar
Pattie, W. A. and Restall, B. J. 1989. Inheritance of cashmere in Australian goats. 2. Genetic parameters and breeding values. Livestock Production Science 21: 251–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pattie, W. A., Restall, B. J. and Smith, G. A. 1989. The measurement of cashmere produced by Australian feral goats. Proceedings of Australian Association of Production 15: 525–528.Google Scholar
Ponzoni, R. W. and Gifford, D. R. 1990. Developing breeding objectives for Australian cashmere goats. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 107: 351–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Restall, B. J. and Pattie, W. A. 1989. Inheritance of cashmere in Australian goats. 1. Characteristics of the base population and the effects of environmental factors. Livestock Production Science 21: 157–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhind, S. M. and McMillen, S. R. 1993. Rate of growth and timing of growth and moulting of secondary fibre in Siberian and Icelandic × feral goats fed high and low level of dietary protein. Animal Production 56: 447 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Ryder, M. L. 1980. Fleece colour in sheep and its inheritance. Animal Breeding Abstracts 48: 305–324.Google Scholar
Sumner, R. M. W. and Bigham, M. L. 1993. Biology of fibre growth and possible genetic and non-genetic means of influencing fibre growth in sheep and goats — a review. Livestock Production Science 33: 1–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar