HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pohle, E. M. Articles by Hazel, L. N. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Pohle, E. M. Articles by Hazel, L. N.

Clean-Wool Yields in Small Samples from Eight Body Regions as Related to Whole-Fleece Yields in Four Breeds of Sheep

United States Department of Agriculture¹

Abstract

Clean wool yields of small samples from 8 body regions were compared with the clean wool yields of the whole fleeces to determine the most accurate regions for sampling a fleece. Clean yields were obtained from 480 small samples and 60 whole fleeces from 15 yearling range ewes for each of the Rambouillet, Targhee, Corriedale and Columbia breeds at the U. S. Sheep Experiment Station and Western Sheep Breeding Laboratory, Dubois, Idaho.

The average bone-dry clean wool yields for all four breeds were highest from the shoulder, hip, thigh and belly with yields of 46.6, 47.2, 47.9 and 46.1 per cent of clean wool respectively. Lowest yields were found on the withers, back, rump, and side in most of the four breeds, with yields of 38.4, 32.1, 35.8 and 41.7 per cent of clean wool respectively. The average clean yield of the whole-fleece from the four breeds was 38.6 per cent.

The difference of 3.4 per cent between average small-sample and whole-fleece yield was highly significant. Breed differences were highly significant for whole-fleece and small-sample yields. Differences among sheep within each breed were also highly significant.

The a and b coefficients (with small-sample yield as the dependent variable) were similar for the four breeds but not for the eight regions. Thus the most accurate coefficients for predicting whole-fleece yields seem to be the a and b values for a particular region averaged for the four breeds.

The correlations involving the withers, back and rump are lower than the others, as were the corresponding regressions and are the least desirable regions for taking small samples. The differences in accuracy among the other five regions appear to be so small that the choice may be decided by whichever regions are easiest to sample.

¹ U. S. Sheep Experiment Station and Western Sheep Breeding Laboratory, Dubois, Idaho.