Influence of Sire Breed, Protein Supplementation and Gender on Wool Spinning Fineness in First-Cross Merino Lambs
Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of sire
breed, type of protein supplement, level of supplementation and sex
on wool spinning fineness (SF), its correlations with other wool
characteristics and prediction accuracy in F1 Merino crossbred lambs.
Texel, Coopworth, White Suffolk, East Friesian and Dorset rams
were mated with 500 purebred Merino dams at a ratio of 1:100 in
separate paddocks within a single management system. The F1
progeny were raised on ryegrass pasture until weaning, before forty
lambs were randomly allocated to treatments in a 5 x 2 x 2 x 2
factorial experimental design representing 5 sire breeds, 2
supplementary feeds (canola or lupins), 2 levels of supplementation
(1% or 2% of liveweight) and sex (wethers or ewes). Lambs were
supplemented for six weeks after an initial three weeks of adjustment,
wool sampled at the commencement and conclusion of the feeding
trial and analyzed for SF, mean fibre diameter (FD), coefficient of
variation (CV), standard deviation, comfort factor (CF), fibre
curvature (CURV), and clean fleece yield. Data were analyzed using
mixed linear model procedures with sire fitted as a random effect,
and sire breed, sex, supplementary feed type, level of
supplementation and their second-order interactions as fixed effects.
Sire breed (P<0.001), sex (P<0.004), sire breed x level of
supplementation (P<0.004), and sire breed x sex (P<0.019)
interactions significantly influenced SF. SF ranged from 22.7 ±
0.2μm in White Suffolk-sired lambs to 25.1 ± 0.2μm in East Friesian
crossbred lambs. Ewes had higher SF than wethers. There were
significant (P<0.001) correlations between SF and FD (0.93), CV
(0.40), CF (-0.94) and CURV (-0.12). Its strong relationship with
other wool quality traits enabled accurate predictions explaining up to
about 93% of the observed variation. The interactions between sire
breed genetics and nutrition will have an impact on the choices that
dual-purpose sheep producers make when selecting sire breeds and
protein supplementary feed levels to achieve optimal wool spinning
fineness at the farmgate level. This will facilitate selective breeding
programs being able to better account for SF and its interactions with
other wool characteristics.
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and meat genetics: The joint possibilities", International Journal of
Sheep Wool Science, vol. 54, pp. 22-27, 2006.
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parameter estimates for wool, growth, meat and reproduction traits in
sheep", Livestock Production Science, vol. 92, pp. 271-289, 2005.
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parameters for carcass and meat quality traits and their relationships to
liveweight and wool production in hogget Merino rams", Journal of
Animal Breeding and Genetics, vol. 125, pp. 205-215, 2008.
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wool production and quality: A review", Genetic Selection and
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selected for high or low clean fleece weight and bodyweight", Animal
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I. Mortimer, A. A. Swan, F. D. Brien, and J. H. J. van der Werf, "Wool
and meat genetics: The joint possibilities", International Journal of
Sheep Wool Science, vol. 54, pp. 22-27, 2006.
[2] E. Safari, N. M. Fogarty, and A. R. Gilmour, "A review of genetic
parameter estimates for wool, growth, meat and reproduction traits in
sheep", Livestock Production Science, vol. 92, pp. 271-289, 2005.
[3] J. C. Greeff, E. Safari, N. M. Fogarty, D. L. Hopkins, F. D. Brien, K. D.
Atkins, S. I. Mortimer, and J. H. J. van der Werf. 2008, "Genetic
parameters for carcass and meat quality traits and their relationships to
liveweight and wool production in hogget Merino rams", Journal of
Animal Breeding and Genetics, vol. 125, pp. 205-215, 2008.
[4] K. J. Harle, S. M. Howden, L. P. Hunt, and M. Dunlop, "The potential
impact of climate change on the Australian wool industry by 2030",
Agricultural Systems, vol. 93, pp 61-89, 2007.
[5] I. W. Purvis, and I. R. Franklin, "Major genes and QTL influencing
wool production and quality: A review", Genetic Selection and
Evolution, vol. 37, pp. S97-S107, 2005.
[6] M. Valera, F. Arrebola, M. Juárez, and A. Molina, "Genetic
improvement of wool production in Spanish Merino sheep: genetic
parameters and simulation of selection strategies", Animal Production
Science, vol. 49, pp. 43-47, 2009.
[7] J. B. Rowe, "The Australian sheep industry - undergoing
transformation. Animal Production Science, vol. 50, pp. 991-997, 2010.
[8] H. D. Daetwyler, J. M. Hickey, J. M. Henshall, S. Dominik, B. Gredler,
J. H. J. van der Werf, and B. J. Hayes, "Accuracy of estimated
genomic breeding values for wool and meat traits in a multi-breed
sheep population", Animal Production Science, vol. 50, pp. 1004-
1010, 2010.
[9] E. Kopke, J. Young, and R. Kingwell, "The relative profitability and
environmental impacts of different sheep systems in a Mediterranean
environment", Agricultural Systems, vol. 96, pp. 85-94, 2008.
[10] S. I. Mortimer, D. L. Robinson, K. D. Atkins, F. D. Brien, A. A. Swan,
P. J. Taylor, and N. M. Fogarty, "Genetic parameters for visually
assessed traits and their relationships to wool production and
liveweight in Australian Merino sheep", Animal Production Science,
vol. 49, pp. 32-42, 2009.
[11] G. Refshauge, S. Hatcher, G. N. Hinch, D. L. Hopkins, and S. Nielsen,
"Fat depth, muscle depth, fat score and wool growth in Merino dams
selected for high or low clean fleece weight and bodyweight", Animal
Production Science, vol. 50, pp. 479-484, 2010.
[12] P. K. Thornton, "Livestock production: recent trends, future prospects",
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences,
vol. 365, pp. 2853-2867, 2010.
[13] S. M. Liu, and D. G. Masters, "Amino acids utilization for wool
production", In: Amino acids in animal nutrition, J. P. F. D'Mello
(Editor), CAB International, Wallingford, UK, pp. 309-328, 2003.
[14] D. Masters, and G. Mata, "Responses to feeding canola meal or lupin
seed to pregnant, lactating, and dry ewes", Australian Journal of
Agricultural Research, vol. 47, pp. 1291-1303, 1996.
[15] C. L. White, L. M. Tabe, H. Dove, J. Hamblin, P. Young, N. Phillips, R.
Taylor, S. Gulati, J. Ashes and T. J. V. Higgins, "Increased efficiency
of wool growth and live weight gain in Merino sheep fed transgenic
lupin seed containing sunflower albumin. Journal of the Science of
Food and Agriculture, vol. 81, pp. 147-154, 2001.
[16] C. Angel, S. Beare, and A. C. Zwart, "Product characteristics and
arbitrage in the Australian and New Zealand wool markets", Australian
Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 34, pp. 67-79, 1990.
[17] F. Bidinost, D. L. Roldan, A. M. Dodero, E. M. Cano, H. R. Taddeo, J.
P. Mueller, and M. A. Poli, "Wool quantitative trait loci in Merino
sheep", Small Ruminant Research, vol. 74, pp. 113-118, 2008.
[18] M. J. Kelly, A. A. Swan, and K. D. Atkins, "Optimal use of on-farm
fibre diameter measurement and its impact on reproduction in
commercial Merino flocks", Australian Journal of Experimental
Agriculture, vol. 47, pp. 525-534, 2007.
[19] A. F. Botha, and L. Hunter, "The measurement of wool fibre properties
and their effect on worsted processing performance and product
quality. Part 1: The objective measurement of wool fibre properties",
Textile Progress, vol. 42, pp. 227-339, 2010.
[20] J. Aylan-Parker, and B. A. McGregor, "Optimising sampling techniques
and estimating sampling variance of fleece quality attributes in
alpacas", Small Ruminant Research, vol. 44, pp 53-64, 2002.
[21] B. P. Baxter, and D. J. Cottle, "The use of midside fleece fibre diameter
distribution measurements in sheep selection", Wool Technology and
Sheep Breeding, vol. 46, pp. 154-171, 1998.
[22] C. Deng, L. Wang, and X. Wang, "Diameter variations of irregular
fibers under different tensions", Fibers and Polymers, vol. 8, pp. 642-
648, 2007.
[23] G. R. S. Naylor, D. G. Phillips, and C. J. Veitch, "The relative
importance of mean diameter and coefficient of variation of sale lots in
determining the potential skin comfort of wool fabrics", Wool
Technology and Sheep Breeding, vol. 43, pp. 69-82, 1995.
[24] K. L. Butler, and M. Dolling, "Merino fleece spinning fineness", Wool
Technology and Sheep Breeding, vol. 50, pp. 626-631, 2002.
[25] A. E. O. Malau-Aduli, and J. D. D. Akuoch, "Sire genetics, protein
supplementation and gender effects on wool comfort factor in
Australian crossbred sheep", American Journal of Experimental
Agriculture, vol. 2, pp. 31-46, 2012.
[26] A. E. O. Malau-Aduli, E. Nightingale, P. McEvoy, J. U. Eve, A. J. John,
A. A. Hobbins, A. A. S. Alamoudi, K. R. Petrie, P. Damen, M. E.
French, A. M. Cragie, S. K. Bales, A. Kashani, B. W. B. Holman, J.
Vargas-Bravo, S. M. Jones, B.S. Malau-Aduli and P. A. Lane,
"Teaching Animal Science and Genetics to Australian university
undergraduates to enhance inquiry-based student learning and research
with sheep: Growth and conformation traits in crossbred prime lambs",
British Journal of Educational Research vol. 2, pp. 59-76, 2012.
[27] A. E. O. Malau-Aduli, and B. Holman, "Genetics-nutrition interactions
influencing wool spinning fineness in Australian crossbred sheep",
Journal of Animal Science, vol. 88 (E-Suppl. 2), pp. 469, 2010.
[28] A. E. O. Malau-Aduli, and D. J. Deng Akuoch, "Wool comfort factor
variation in Australian crossbred sheep", Journal of Animal Science,
vol. 88 (E-Suppl. 2), pp. 860, 2010.
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@article{"International Journal of Biological, Life and Agricultural Sciences:62864", author = "A. E. O. Malau-Aduli and B. W. B. Holman and P. A. Lane", title = "Influence of Sire Breed, Protein Supplementation and Gender on Wool Spinning Fineness in First-Cross Merino Lambs", abstract = "Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of sire
breed, type of protein supplement, level of supplementation and sex
on wool spinning fineness (SF), its correlations with other wool
characteristics and prediction accuracy in F1 Merino crossbred lambs.
Texel, Coopworth, White Suffolk, East Friesian and Dorset rams
were mated with 500 purebred Merino dams at a ratio of 1:100 in
separate paddocks within a single management system. The F1
progeny were raised on ryegrass pasture until weaning, before forty
lambs were randomly allocated to treatments in a 5 x 2 x 2 x 2
factorial experimental design representing 5 sire breeds, 2
supplementary feeds (canola or lupins), 2 levels of supplementation
(1% or 2% of liveweight) and sex (wethers or ewes). Lambs were
supplemented for six weeks after an initial three weeks of adjustment,
wool sampled at the commencement and conclusion of the feeding
trial and analyzed for SF, mean fibre diameter (FD), coefficient of
variation (CV), standard deviation, comfort factor (CF), fibre
curvature (CURV), and clean fleece yield. Data were analyzed using
mixed linear model procedures with sire fitted as a random effect,
and sire breed, sex, supplementary feed type, level of
supplementation and their second-order interactions as fixed effects.
Sire breed (P", keywords = "Merino crossbred sheep, protein supplementation,
sire breed, wool quality, wool spinning fineness", volume = "6", number = "7", pages = "550-8", }
