Abstract

Midside wool samples from Romney and ¾ Romney ¼ Merino cross (¼M) hoggets were tested for loose wool feltability. Romney samples were also hand spun and yarn shrinkage measured. Sire progeny groups accounted for 6.5% of the variation among samples in loose wool felting (P<0.10) and 12% in yarn shrinkage (P<0.05). Fibre traits most highly correlated with feltball diameter were loose wool bulk (r = 0.65 for Romneys and 0.73 for ¼M), crimp frequency (r= 0.53 and 0.41 respectively) and lustre (-0.30 and -0.40 respectively). Loose wool bulk (r= -0.25) and greasy fleece weight (r=-0.40) were most correlated to yarn shrinkage. These results suggest that low-shrinkage wools could be produced by selecting rams on shrinkage of yarn. Loose wool feltability might also be changed by direct or indirect selection.

PR, Kenyon, GA Wickham, and HT Blair

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 58, , 291-293, 1998