Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T14:18:51.147Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of nutrition during winter on growth rate and sulphur content of wool of pregnant Scottish Blackface and Romney ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. M. Doney  and
C. C. Evans
J. M. Doney
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organization, 29 Lauder Road, Edinburgh 9
C. C. Evans
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organization, 29 Lauder Road, Edinburgh 9
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Pregnant ewes of the Scottish Blackface and Romney breeds were group fed to achieve different patterns of live-weight change between mating and parturition. One group had a net maternal live-weight increase of about 8%, the second a net loss of about 5% and the third a loss of about 16%. Wool growth and sulphur content of the wool were measured at intervals. During the period 6–8 weeks prepartum wool growth rate in the Blackface breed was low and there were no significant differences amongst treatments. Differences in sulphur content were highly significant (ranging between 3·97 and 3·46% for fine and coarse fractions respectively in the well-nourished sheep down to 3·68 and 3·20% in the undernourished group). In the Romney breed the situation was reversed. In the prepartum period there were no significant differences amongst groups in sulphur content (mean value 3·68%), but differences in wool growth rate were highly significant (0·021, 0·012 and 0·009 g/100 cm2/day).

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 75 , Issue 1 , August 1970 , pp. 133 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

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

Barritt, J. & King, A. T. (1926). The sulphur content of wool. I. Inherent variations according to the type of wool. J. Text. Inst. 17, T 386.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M. (1964). The fleece of the Scottish Blackface sheep. IV. The effect of pregnancy, lactation and nutrition on seasonal wool production. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 62, 59–66.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M. (1966). Breed differences in response of wool growth to annual nutritional and climatic cycles. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 67, 25–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doney, J. M. & Evans, C. C. (1968). The influence of season and nutrition on the sulphur content of wool from Merino and Cheviot sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 70, 111–16.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M. & Smith, W. F. (1961). The fleece of the Scottish Blackface sheep. I. Seasonal changes in wool production and fleece structure. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 56, 365–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doney, J. M. & Smith, W. F. (1966). Fleece characteristics of the strains of Scottish Blackface sheep. Anim. Prod. 8, 313–20.Google Scholar
Gillespie, J. M. & Reis, P. J. (1966). The dietary-regulated biosynthesis of high-sulphur wool proteins. Biochem. J. 98, 669–77.Google Scholar
Reis, P. J. (1965). The growth and composition of wool. III. Variations in the sulphur content of wool. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 18, 671–87.Google Scholar
Reis, P. J. & Schinckel, P. G. (1963). Some effects of sulphur-containing amino acids on the growth and composition of wool. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 16, 218–30.Google Scholar
Ross, D. A. (1961). Biological aspects of the sulphur content of Romney wool. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 21, 153–65.Google Scholar
Russsel, A. J. F., Doney, J. M. & Gunn, R. G. (1969). Subjective assessment of body fat in live sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 72, 451–4.Google Scholar
Wildman, A. B. (1957). Photoperiodicity and wool growth in Romney rams and wethers. Nature, Lond. 180, 296–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed