Abstract

Hoggets from the Massey University fleeceweight-selected (FW) line were previously shown to have lower sulphur (S) concentrations in midside wool than control (C) hoggets at 14 months of age. This study involved two experiments. The first examined wool S concentrations at different body positions in 14-month hoggets and the second examined midside wool S concentration and blood parameters in young lambs. In Experiment 1, 16 FW hoggets and 16 C hoggets were wool sampled at 11 positions over the body. The wool S concentration of FW hoggets was found to be significantly (P<0.01) lower than that of C hoggets (2.77% vs 2.94%). Discriminant analysis was used to classify hoggets to their respective lines based on wool S measurements. The combination of sites which most correctly classified the hoggets was the midside plus base of the tail. In the Experiment 2, 40 FW and 40 C lambs were wool sampled on the midside at 28 day intervals from 21 November (1 week before weaning) to 13 February. FW lambs had significantly (P<0.05) lower midside wool S concentrations of urea, but not of creatinine, than C lambs. Results suggest that wool S concentration and plasma urea concentrations may be useful genetic markers for high fleece production but that the ability to discriminate between animals of high versus low genetic merit for fleece weight on the basis of wool S will depend on the sampling position and age of animals.

RMW, Sumner, DC Maddever, and JN Clarke

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 51, , 347-352, 1991