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Clean Wool Yield Variation among Regions of Rambouillet Fleeces

United States Department of Agriculture

Abstract

Clean wool yields of samples from 8 body regions, namely: withers, back, rump, shoulder, side, hip, thigh and belly were compared with one another and with the yield of the entire fleece to determine the variability of clean wool yield within the fleece and the relative reliability of samples from the various regions for predicting the clean wool yield of the entire fleece. The entire fleeces and 240 small samples were obtained from 30 Rambouillet yearling ewes during May 1939, at the Western Sheep Breeding Laboratory, Dubois, Idaho.

Highest clean yields were obtained from the shoulder, thigh, withers, and belly with yields of 39.8, 39.7, 39.6 and 39.6 per cent of clean wool respectively. Lowest yields were obtained from the rump, side and back with yields of 31.3, 31.8 and 33.5 per cent of clean wool respectively. The yield of clean wool for the entire fleece was 35.4 per cent. Variation among regions and among individuals were highly significant. Variation among regions was greater than among individuals.

Correlations between the small samples from the 8 regions and the entire fleece were not significantly different. The highest association between the small samples and the entire fleece were obtained from the regions of the shoulder, belly, thigh and side. Averages of samples from all 8 regions or from the shoulder, side and back were more representative of the entire fleece than samples from any one region.

Results for one year indicate that per cent of clean yield obtained from a small sample of the shoulder, belly, thigh, side and possibly the back would be adequate for use in a breeding program. Average yields of all 8 regions or of the shoulder, side and back regions were nearer to that of the entire fleece than any one region. Further work is underway to improve the sampling method for clean yield from individual sheep.

¹ The authors are respectively, Associate Animal Fiber Technologist, Western Sheep Breeding Laboratory, Dubois, Idaho, Assistant Animal Fiber Technologist, Beltsville Research Center, Beltsville, Md., and Animal Husbandman, Western Sheep Breeding Laboratory, Dubois, Idaho, Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture. The authors express appreciation to Warner M. Buck and George C. LeCompte of the Agricultural Marketing Administration, Washington, D. C., who conducted the scouring of the entire fleeces.