Effect of feeding and season on fleece characteristics of Cheviot, Drysdale and Romney hogget wool

R.M.W. Sumner

Whatawhata Hill Country Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hamilton

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1983, 43: 79-82

Improved feeding increased wool growth rate, fibre diameter and brightness. Feeding level did not affect fibre diameter variation, loose wool bulk or yellowness.

Wool grew faster and was coarser during summer than during winter. Fibre diameter variation for the Cheviot and Romney was greatest in winter and least for the Drysdale in summer. There was no defined seasonal cycle for loose wool bulk. Colour indices were related to prevailing weather conditions. Maximum and minimum values for each characteristic were strongly correlated for fibre diameter and fibre diameter variation, weakly correlated for loose wool bulk and not consistently related for wool growth rate and colour indices.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;