Main Indicators of the Wool Quality of Dniprovian Meat Breed Sheep of Different Sexes and Genotypes

Abstract

The formation of comprehensive knowledge of the assessment of physical and technical parameters of sheep wool depending on sex and genotype is one of the problems of animal biology, which is due to the requirements of the theory and practice of sheep breeding, as well as the wool processing industry, although the production of an increasing number of synthetic and artificial fibers. Actually obligatory evaluation of physical and technical parameters of wool is regulated by the current state standards and instructions on conducting breeding work, which determines productivity of selection in relation to further improvement of sheep breeds. However, the available information in the prevailing majority of literature sources on the quality of wool concerns sheep of meat-wool and wool-meat direction of productivity. As for sheep of meat production, in particular the newly created domestic breeds such materials are almost absent which determines the relevance of the work done. The foregoing article presents the results of the laboratory evaluation of differences in quality indicators of wool of the Dnieper beef sheep breed in relation to their sex and genotype. The research objects are young ewes, heeders, ewes and tupping rams. The experiments have been conducted in the conditions of the analytical laboratory for evaluation of wool quality and the breeding center for sheep breeding of the Institute of animal sciences NAAS. The obtained data indicate that young ewes of the line 024/063 (Ml) have a larger length of wool on the compared topographic areas of the fleece, such as on the back (by 23-69%), maw (by 25-30%), thigh (by 2,5-4,6%). The larger length of wool on maw is characteristic of ewes and tupping rams of this line. The sheep of all sex and age groups, which belonged to the line 024/063 (Ml) are reported to be characterized with the highest wool alignment by length within the evaluated topographic areas of the fleece. In spite of the mentioned differences in the indicator of wool fineness, the examinee sheep of these groups are quite homogeneous. The wool fineness in the groups of ewes and young ewes is within the range of 58-60 quality assortments, while the wool fineness of the replacement heeders and the tupping rams is within the range of 56-60 quality assortments.