Assessment of fleece cover in crosses between Coopworth, Dorper,
Damara, New Zealand Wiltshire, Poll Dorset and Suffolk sheep
N.C. MERRICK
AgResearch Limited, PO Box 60, Lincoln, New Zealand
E-Mail:
NZSAP 2003 Abstract No. 39
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production
63: 160-163
Fleece cover was assessed over 10 body regions for nine pure and
crossbred combinations of progeny from longwool, short-wool and hair
breeds of sheep. Assessments were made between docking and hogget
shearing. Visually assessed fleece-cover scores varied by less than 0.35
units within day (P = 0.757) and 0.21 units between days (P = 0.120).
Differences of 0.2 units between assessors (P<0.05) were tolerable in
a scoring system utilising whole measurement units. The average fleece
cover of Wiltshire and Dorper x Wiltshire lambs was 1.14 and 0.92 units
less than Coopworth lambs at weaning (P<0.01) but no different at
hogget shearing (P = 0.17). The temporary reduction in fleece cover at
weaning was attributed to shedding of fibres from the fleece. All breed
combinations studied produced between 29 and 67% less fleece than
Coopworth hoggets (P<0.001). However, without the ability to
synchronously shed their fleece, first generation crossbred progeny
required shearing as hoggets.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Dorper; Damara; Wiltshire; crossbred; fleece cover; visual score
Last Updated 8/07/2004
