scholarly journals The science behind the wool industry. The importance and value of wool production from sheep

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma K Doyle ◽  
James W V Preston ◽  
Bruce A McGregor ◽  
Phil I Hynd
1987 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
T K Moulik

Uneconomic returns from sheep rearing have forced many sheep rearers to sell their sheep and take up other occupations. Despite a growing demand for wool, especially quality wool, there is general apathy among sheep rearers towards wool production because of the unremunerative prices for domestic wool and large scale imports. To overcome many of the problems confronting the sheep rearers and wool industry, a Wool Development Board is expected to be soon set up. In this article T K Moulik discusses the challenges before the Board and the ways to overcome them.


Author(s):  
M.A. Monteath

Details are given of intensive sheep farming on improved pastures in the #higher rainfall areas of Otago and Southland. The main features of pasture a,nd stock management used to achieve high levels of meat and wool production are described, and an outline is given of an all-grass, heavy stocking, farmlet study


2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-272
Author(s):  
Anthony C. King

This paper is a survey of overall species counts from northern and central Hampshire sites, of Iron Age, Roman and early Saxon date, and their implications for chronological changes in animal husbandry and diet. Three zones, around Basingstoke, Andover, and central Hampshire, are compared with each other, and also with the Roman urban centres of Silchester and Winchester. The Andover region shows the greatest degree of continuity from Iron Age to Roman times and later, while the Basingstoke region has a pattern of change from sheep/goat dominated assemblages to ones with higher cattle numbers. This may be due to agricultural intensification, and an orientation of the animal economy in northern Hampshire more towards the Thames Valley and supply to Silchester, than an earlier 'Wessex pattern' more focussed on sheep and wool production.


2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-204
Author(s):  
Serena Sabatini

AbstractArguing for an integrated wool-textile economy in the Bronze Age, this paper assesses characteristics and scale of pastoral economy and sheepherding at the Terramare settlement of Montale (Modena province, Italy). Previous studies argued that Montale was a Bronze Age centre of wool production. The present work enhances the understanding of the local textile economy by investigating the evidence for sheepherding and landscape management at the site. It also proposes an interdisciplinary-based approach to investigate and reconstruct pastoral economy and sheepherding strategies in other prehistoric contexts as well.


1977 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Langlands

Grass and milk consumption and liveweight changes of lambs grazed at stocking rates ranging from 9 to 35 sheep/ha were measured during a 105 day lactation. Grass consumption and wool production of their mothers and of similar ewes without lambs were also determined. The forage and total organic matter intakes of the lamb increased with time while milk consumption declined; all three variables were negatively correlated with stocking rate. The intake of the ewe and its liveweight gain were not sensitive to increasing stocking rate, but wool production declined at higher stocking rates. The maintenance requirement of the ewes was estimated to be 218 kJ metabolizable energy/kg liveweight, and the efficiency with which metabolizable energy was utilized for milk production was 66%. Lactation increased the intake of the ewe but reduced its wool production.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Saskia Neubert ◽  
Alexandra von Altrock ◽  
Michael Wendt ◽  
Matthias Gerhard Wagener

An online survey of llama and alpaca owners was used to collect data on the population, husbandry, feeding, management measures and health problems. A total of 255 questionnaires were evaluated. In total, 55.1% of the owners had started keeping South American camelids within the last six years. The majority managed small farms with fewer than 15 animals (66.4% of 250 farms). More than half of the participants stated that they kept the camelids as hobby animals (64.3%), although they used them for wool production (55.7%) and/or for breeding (51.8%). Vaccination and deworming were carried out on more than 80% of the farms. The most common diseases occurring on the farms were endo- and ectoparasites. A total of 55.3% of the owners estimated their own knowledge of South American camelids as good, 14.5% as very good. In contrast, more than half of the owners agreed little or not at all with the statement that veterinarians generally have sufficient knowledge about South American camelids. Further research is needed to include veterinarians’ perspectives and thus optimise animal husbandry.


1989 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 433 ◽  
Author(s):  
SI Mortimer ◽  
KD Atkins

Wool production traits were measured on Merino hogget ewes in an unselected multiple-bloodline flock over a 7-year period at Trangie Agricultural Research Centre, N.S.W. The traits measured were greasy fleece weight (GFW), skirted fleece weight (SKFW), yield (Y), clean fleece weight (CFW), fibre diameter (FD), body weight (BWT) and staple length (SL). These measurements were used to examine genetic differences between and within flocks of Merino sheep, and to estimate heritability of and genetic and phenotypic correlations among these traits. Significant strain, flock within strain and flock effects were present for all traits. Interactions between these effects and year were non-significant. Within-flock genetic variance was always larger than between-flock within strain genetic variance for each trait. The influence of environmental effects on these traits was also examined. The environmental effects of birth-rearing type, age at observation and age of dam together accounted for about 7-10% of the total within-flock variation in fleece weights and body weight.After adjusting for significant environmental effects, paternal half-sib heritability estimates were 0.29 �. 0.06 for GFW, 0.22 � 0.05 for SKFW, 0.35 � 0.05 for Y, 0.30 �0.06 for CFW, 0.48 �0.07 for FD, 0.34 �. 0.06 for BWT and 0.44 �0.07 for SL. Estimates for genetic and phenotypic correlations were in agreement with published estimates except for the genetic correlation between CFW and FD (0.40 �. 0.11), and the genetic correlations involving BWT, which were essentially zero. The implications of the results of this study for the genetic improvement of Merino sheep for wool production are discussed.


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