SCIENCE IN FARMING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21639, 3 November 1933, Page 15

SCIENCE IN FARMING

WOOL PRODUCTION breeding and feeding progress in future ' Belie\ injr that tho ret urns from wool ill Xfw Zealand might ho considerably ■ ' oi,so, l it fuller advantago wore taken ol tlic information available on tlie suhjf't. i lie ( antorbury Chamber of Comineice, in recent bulletin, prepared in association with Lincoln Agricultural ( ollege, s ,. ts ()||t j () j,| ( |j(..,j 0 what is known of the various factors which in- | fluonce Ihe economics of wool-growing. ''| High production in a flock is based s l primarily on the inherent, ability of the j sheep to produce wool, and can be im--0 j P'o\ed and maintained by the con- •' tinned use of ranis and ewes which ! possess this ability to the greatest dcg j gree, the bulletin says. I'nfortunatoly, however, it is by no means certain .j that lambs will inherit the qualities of 0 good parents unless the latter are pure 1 lor their good qualities. I bis purity can he brought about by breeding, over'n IS number ol generations, the best s the best and bv severe culling- Jhe j)roo! of purity in the 0 Parents is the performance of the off- - spring. I lie mating of animals pure for (i high product ion can be relied on to j' result in offspring with equally high production where feeding is adequate. ,") ( on\ersely, a knowledge of the produc- * I ion of the dam and grand-dams, and 2 of the progeny of the sire and grandsires, permits a reliable forecast of the ~ prepotency of a ram to be made. Differences in Yield r, ; This information is rarely available. •! But there is considerable variation in j the production of similar sheep within j any one breed. Ihe differences in yield I of wool between the progenies of dif- ! fprent rams may often he great enough to warrant the selection of young rams 2 on the performance of their sires. j it is probable, contends the bulletin, j that the ewe has as great an influence S . 11s the ram on the wool of the lamb. 1 I here may be some evidence of this in •"j j the differences found at Canterbury j Agricultural College by grouping hogP gets from a flock of ewes into two s classes. I hose w hose mothers clipped , over Sib, of wool produced 011 the averj age i'.olb. themselves, while those whose ~_> ! mothers clipped under Sib. averaged i only 8.61b., although the feed was the 3 'same for the ewes and hoggets. 1 ' j Jhe testing of rams and ewes seems [ to offer the best approach to better ';f wool yields. Such testing, particularly !!) I °t' rams, would enable strains of high '' producers to be bred. The method could !5 i be at first applied to ranis. If breeders 1( 1 were to use rams of known production 7 and were to supplv with those tliev I sold a certificate showing the performj ance ;if the parents, a marked advance would take place in a lew years. Importance ol Constitution | Even where wool is the chief conI sideration, however, selection should not it; j be based on it alone. Experience with ;j dairy cattle has shown the results of •2 j .sacrificing si/.e and constitution for milk yield. Breeding toward a definite 1) ideal is wanted to secure uniformity 7 ol quality and quantity, but at the same time good conformation, thrift!r, 11 ess a iml disease resistance to give .effect , to this must be maintained. - On sheep country feed which is insufns : cient in quantity or poor in quality - lowers wool production. I'nder these > conditions the quality of the wool may suffer, other defects may appear and the maximum quantity of wool of which t a flock is capable is not obtained. * l On sheep country where supplemen- ,! tary feeding is unobtainable, and where sheep must live 011 the feed available, t i animals must be bred to suit their enj vironnient. The practice of introducing t high-class sires from good land is not ' the best method of improving sheep for ! poorer country. The Hock should be ■ | improved by selecting high producers bred under similar conditions. Result of Trials I j Trials at Canterbury Agricultural Col- | lege have shown that there is a close j connection between the standard of j feeding and the quantity of wool. Ewes ' j fed well during the three winter months | shore half-a-pouud more wool than ewes ; not so well fed. 111 addition, better quality and a higher return from the ' progeny accompanied higher fleece 1 weight. ; The appearance of tender wool, which ; has Leon found at Lincoln in many 1 j cases to coincide with a loss of live I weight, is to be attributed to a shortage ,! of feed at the time the defective wool I was grow ing. I his causes a reduction in the diameter of the wool fibre, but 1 length does not appear to be affected to the same extent. Tender wool in breeding ewes commonly occurs on that part of the staple corresponding to the period l just before and just after lambing, I when the feed available may not enable them to maintain the growth of both wool and lamb. In many shearing sheds, it is suggested, there is room for improved treatment of the wool. No system of : reskirting or reclassing can undo the ' harm 'hie to careless handling and 1 skirting in the shed. The wool must he ! kept clean, and only that part which is j not up to the general average of the fleece should be removed in the skirtj nig. Points lor Investigation Owing to the marked variations in individual fleeces and in the wool from different localities and breeds, a national scheme of classing to definite standards as is done with butler and meat: presents difficulties, hi addition everv extra handling of the wool affects ndverselv its appearance, increases costs and reduces net returns. In this ! connection there are great advantages j in classing the larger clips on the farm. Most of these clips are admittedly very j well classed, but in the other cases a. j irreat improvement might be effected by i insisting on the dasser being fully ! qualified for the work. It would appear that there is room for some system of eerl ificat ion of wool elassers. The existence of considerable inherent differences in production, economic use of food, fertility and disease resistance among sheep, is regarded as indicatin.r possible means of improvement. I he discovery and multiplication of the best strains, it is stated, may he expected to (rive results comparable with those accomplished by herd testing. A higher standard of feeding can achieve a great deal, but there are large areas where t his 'cannot be carried out, and w here laroer wool yields must conic from the us." of sheep which are more efficient with the feed available. The selection of such sheep could be achieved only by a wide application ol systematic testin" for wool production. I'lie wool of rams at least would need to he weighed, and the process extended whenever possible to ewes and progeny. It is I t hat, with a view to d( t :>r 11 -ill ing the most suitable types of sheep for the various classes of country. survey of sheep production should be carried ' out. All examination of f ile variations ill food supply and in types of fanning would make it possible to delimit areas where certain types of sheep should be used and methods of management adopted.