Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:43:25.707Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A study of wool growth. I. Weight of wool

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

N. Galpin
N. Galpin
Affiliation:
Wool Industries Research Association, Torridon, Headingley, Leeds 6
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The wool production of a small flock of Romney Sheep has been studied for a few years. When the sheep were 1 month old squares were tattooed on to four regions of each sheep.

The weight of wool from, and the area of, these squares has been studied.

We find that, under good growing conditions, for the same region, all sheep produce the same weight of wool per sq.cm. of skin per day (denoted by c), which is independent of age, seasons, year of birth of sheep, but varies from region to region, being higher the nearer the region to the mid-dorsal line.

When conditions are unfavourable the weight of wool a particular sheep produces from a particular region falls below the c value for the region, approximately, by a factor (1 – B/E), where E is the skin expansion ratio of the particular region and B is a number, the same for all sheep and all regions in one season and is greater the worse the season.

I am particularly indebted to Dr Hammond, School of Agriculture, Cambridge, and to Mr W. S. Kelly (Australia) for help and advice, and to the Animal Research Station, Cambridge, for providing the facilities for working with sheep. I wish to express my indebtedness to my colleagues of the Biology Department of this Association who have assisted me in various ways, and to Dr Daniels for help with the statistical treatment of the data, and to Mr R. C. Palmer for criticism and help in preparing the results for publication. My thanks are due to Mr B. H. Wilsdon, Director of Research, for his encouragement, to the International Wool Secretariat for providing the sheep, and to the Council of the Wool Industries Research Association for permission to publish the results.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , October 1947 , pp. 275 - 286
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1947

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

Brody, S. & Campbell, J. (1938). Res. Bull. Mo. Agric. Exp. Sta. 287.Google Scholar
Burns, R. H. (1935). Growth of Skin Area in Sheep. Proc. Amer. Soc. Anim. Prod.Google Scholar
Carter, H. B. (1943). Studies in the biology of the skin and fleece of sheep. Bull. Coun. Sci. Industr. Res., Aust. no. 164.Google Scholar
Fisher, R. A. (1936). Statistical Methods for Research Workers. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd.Google Scholar
Galpin, N. (1936). The occurrence of a Britch-Poll Fibre-Type Array Gradient in the New Zealand Romney Lamb. Emp. J. Exp. Agric. 4, 116.Google Scholar
Hammond, John (1932). Orowth and Development of Mutton Qualities in the Sheep. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd.Google Scholar
Mcmeekan, C. P. & Hammond, John (1940). The relation of environmental condition to breeding and selection for commercial types in pigs. Emp. J. Exp. Agric. 8, 6.Google Scholar
Pohle, E. M. & Keller, H. R. (1943). Staple Length in Relation to Wool Production. J. Anim. Sci. 2, 33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ritzman, E. G. & Colovos, N. F. (1930). Surface Areas of Sheep. Circ. Univ. N.H. Agric. Exp. Sta. no. 32.Google Scholar
Terril, Clair E. & Stoehr, John A. (1942). The importance of body weight in selection of Range Ewes. J. Anim. Sci. 1, 221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar