Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:00:59.021Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Frequency of shearing increases growth of fibre and changes objective and subjective attributes of Angora goat fleeces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2007

B. A. McGREGOR  and
K. L. BUTLER
B. A. McGREGOR*
Affiliation:
Livestock Systems, Department of Primary Industries, Attwood, Victoria3049, Australia
K. L. BUTLER
Affiliation:
Biometrics Group, Department of Primary Industries, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The impact of genotype and of frequency and timing of shearing, on mohair attributes and production of modern Angora goats was studied. Goats in the southern hemisphere grazed pastures between February 2004 and 2006. There were seven shearing treatments by three genetic strains with four or eight replicates of individual goats. Treatments were: three different 6-month shearing intervals and two of 12-month shearing intervals with different months of shearing, a 7-month winter shearing interval and a 3-month shearing interval. Genetic strain was based on sire line: 1·0 South African; 1·0 Texan; and Mixed 0·5 South African and 0·5 Texan. Annual greasy mohair production was 5·08 kg, and average clean fleece production was 4·37 kg. The Angora goats produced an annual clean fleece equivalent to 0·122 of their mean fleece-free live weight which was equal to 0·34 g/kg/day. Measurements were analysed over the period of spring 2004 shearing to spring 2005 shearing, excluding the June–December shearing treatment. Increased frequency of shearing increased fleece growth and affected 13 objective and subjective attributes of mohair that were evaluated including clean washing yield, fibre diameter and fibre diameter variation, incidence of medullated fibres, staple length, fibre curvature, crimp frequency, style, staple definition, staple fibre entanglement and staple tip shape. The direction of these effects were generally favourable and for most attributes the magnitude of the response was linear and commercially important. Each additional shearing resulted in an additional 149 g of clean mohair representing 0·034 of the annual clean mohair production. This increase was associated with a 0·6 cm increase in staple length and 0·32 μm increase in mean fibre diameter. In conclusion, Angora goats shorn less frequently grew less mohair that was more likely to be entangled in spring. Managers of Angora goats should take note of these findings.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 146 , Issue 3 , June 2008 , pp. 351 - 361
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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

REFERENCES

Black, W. M. L. (1900). A New Industry, or Raising the Angora Goat and Mohair for Profit. Fort Worth Texas: Keystone Printing.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., McCGraham, N. & Wainman, F. W. (1959). Environmental temperature, energy metabolism and heat regulation in sheep. III. The metabolism and thermal exchanges of sheep with fleeces. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 52, 41–49.Google Scholar
Bigham, M. L. (1974). Effects of shearing interval on fleece weight and wool growth on a delineated midside patch. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 17, 407–410.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Birrell, H. A. (1989). The influence of pasture and animal factors on the consumption of pasture of grazing sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 40, 1261–1275.Google Scholar
Birrell, H. A. (1992). Factors associated with the rate of growth of clean wool on grazing sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 43, 265–275.Google Scholar
Brims, M. A. (1993). New OFDA developments and the use of OFDA as a projection microscope. In Proceedings IWTO Technical Meeting, Istanbul, Report No. 22. Ilkley, Yorkshire: International Wool Textile Organisation.Google Scholar
Calle-Escobar, R. (1984). Animal Breeding and Production of American Camelids. Lima, Peru: Ron Hennig-Patience.Google Scholar
Farrell, D. J. & Corbett, J. L. (1970). Fasting heat production of sheep at pasture before and after shearing. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 8, 267–270.Google Scholar
Goldsworthy, Y. E. & Lang, W. R. (1954). The relationship of fibre form and staple crimp in Merino wool. Journal of the Textile Institute 45, T755–T773.Google Scholar
Hunter, L. (1993). Mohair: A Review of its Properties, Processing and Applications. Port Elizabeth, South Africa: CSIR.Google Scholar
IWTO-19 (1995). Determination of Wool Base and Vegetable Matter Base of Core Samples of Raw Wool. Ilkley, Yorkshire, UK: International Wool Textile Organisation.Google Scholar
IWTO-47 (1995). Measurement of the Mean and Distribution of Fibre Diameter of Wool using an Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser (OFDA). Ilkley, Yorkshire, UK: International Wool Textile Organisation.Google Scholar
IWTO-57 (1996). Determination of Medullated Fibre Content of Wool and Mohair Samples by Opacity Measurement using an OFDA. Ilkley, Yorkshire, UK: International Wool Textile Organisation.Google Scholar
McGregor, B. A. (1983). Assessing the carcasses of goats using condition scores. Mohair Australia 13, 26–27.Google Scholar
McGregor, B. A. (1985). Heat stress in Angora wether goats. Australian Veterinary Journal 62, 349–350.Google Scholar
McGregor, B. A. (1992). Body composition, body condition scores and carcass and organ components of grazing Angora goats. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 19, 273–276.Google Scholar
McGregor, B. A. (1998). Nutrition, management and other environmental influences on the quality and production of mohair and cashmere with particular reference to Mediterranean and annual temperate climatic zones: a review. Small Ruminant Research 28, 199–215.Google Scholar
McGregor, B. A. (2002). Extent and Source of Short and Cotted Mohair. RIRDC Research Paper No 02/108. Barton, ACT, Australia: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.Google Scholar
McGregor, B. A. & Butler, K. L. (2004). Contribution of objective and subjective attributes to the variation in commercial value of Australian mohair: implications for mohair production, genetic improvement, and mohair marketing. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 55, 1283–1298.Google Scholar
McGregor, B. A. (2005). Nutrition and Management of Goats in Drought. RIRDC Research Report No 05/188. Barton, ACT, Australia: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.Google Scholar
McGuirk, B. J., Paynter, J. R. & Dun, R. B. (1966). The effect of frequency and time of shearing on the reproduction and wool growth of Bungaree South Australian Merino ewes. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 6, 305–310.Google Scholar
Mead, R., Curnow, R. N. & Hasted, A. M. (1993) Statistical Methods in Agriculture and Experimental Biology. 2nd ed.London, UK: Chapman and Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Payne, R. W. (2005) The Guide to GenStat®; Release 8. Part 2: Statistics. Rothamsted, UK: Lawes Agricultural Trust.Google Scholar
Riley, W. E. (1832). Remarks on the Importation, and Result of the Introduction of the Cachemere and Angora Goats into France: and the Extraordinary Properties of the New Race, Cachemere-Angora, with its Capability of also Rendering the Common Goat of Value to the Colonists of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. Pamphlet reprinted in 1984 by Australian Cashmere Goat Society, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Reid, R. N. D. & Sides, R. H. (1984). Seasonal wool growth in Elliotdale wethers under grazing. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 15, 736.Google Scholar
Schlink, A. C. & Dollin, A. E. (1995). Abnormal shedding contributes to the reduced staple strength of tender wool in Western Australian Merinos. International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science 43, 268–284.Google Scholar
Schreiner, S. C. C. (1898). The Angora Goat. London: Longmans Green & Co.Google Scholar
Stapleton, D. L. (1978). Mohair Production and Seasonal Variability in the Fleece of the Australian Angora Goat. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New England, Armidale, Australia.Google Scholar
Wheeler, J. L., Hedges, D. A. & Mulcahy, C. (1977). The use of dyebanding for measuring wool production and fleece tip wear in rugged and unrugged sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 28, 721–735.Google Scholar
Wilson, S. (1873). The Angora Goat. Melbourne, Australia: Stillwell and Knight.Google Scholar