FARM and STATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18583, 18 December 1934, Page 12

FARM and STATION

The Fibre Types oi: N.Z. Romney Sheep

A SUMM AR V of points resulting from .research into the fibre types > Xmv .Zealand. Romney sheep is given in the lit test. Journal of Agricult ui*e by Mr F. W. Dry, of Massey Agricultural Pol lege. ■ The nuttter has iheen dealt Mill’ in several previous reports at. v.trious.stages in the and after reviewing the research work at length the -writer sums up .as follows: “'The. most innnediate practical aim of the work discussed is to aid in selection f oV wool characters, and especially *o itav rime by making it possible to distinguish between good and bad whet) sheep are very young. “In judging the eoat of an animal id a work-a-dny world observations that can be made in the yards or woolshed will be employed wherever possible. It is expected, however, that it will become desirable in practical •breeding sometimes to sort out the individual fibres of a specimen against a black background. Such work might be the employment of professional sorters of wool on the minute scale, but it would be perfectly possible for the breeder to carry it out himself. “Two kinds of hairiness are recognised: kemp and non-kemp. These two kinds are not wholly independent, but it is necessary to select against them separately. Halo-Hairs “Large (birth-coat kemps, or halohairs, may (be recognised at. a glance at birth or at docking-time. “From the practical point, of view it is only when halo-hairs are present in a portion of the fleece that kemp is of consequence in that region later. “Halo-hairs on railing out are often succeeded in the same roots by secondary kemps and by very coarse hairy fibres of persistent growth. “A series of breeding experiments has shown that the abundance of halohairs is strongly inherited. Selection for complete freedom from halohairs on the back has been largely effective.

“It is suggested that selection against halo-hairs should be as keen as is practicable, with attention paid especially to the back and britch.

“If the abundance of -halo-hairs has not been noted before they fall out. a look-out may be kept, when examining specimens in benzol at six months or later, for hairy fibres not reaching the tip of t-he staple that may be succeeding halo-hairs in the same roots. “In lambs growing normally nonkemp hairiness makes it appearance, as the coat continues its growth after birth, in the very early days of the animal’s life. Lambs free at three weeks may be accepted as entirely desirable on this count. Later Development “When non-kemp hairiness is Jit all well sustained down the staple in the lamb’s coat, it is indicated by preliminary studies that the abundance of hairy fibres is much the same in each of the first four fleeces. “The statement bv breeders that the third fleece may be badly hairy after the animal has been deemed acceptable -on the first two fleeces is probably to be explained by greater coarseness of the non-kemp hairy fibres of the third fleece, with the state of affairs in the earlier fleeces open to detection in benzol, even though it be not recognised by eye. “When non-kemp -hairiness on the back and side in the first year’s fleece is not sustained for more than about two months, then in the -same part of the next fleece there may be less hairiness, or none at all, and then the third fleece also has been 'free. ‘ 1 Towards the animals just described one will, be lenient in flocks in which it is not feasible to adopt an exacting standard. “When the standard is more rigid one would prefer an animal, especially a ram, to be.free from hairiness not only in later fleeces, but in that of the first year. Inherited Factors

“Experiments of n rough kind point to the great importance of inherited factors in determining non-kemp hairiness. In these experiments some lambs were more hairy than either parent. These findings are in a line with the experience of breeders. “Non-kemp hairiness is effected by physical conditions and by nutrition. In the work described greater hairiness has tended to accompany vigorous growth of the fleece. “Lambs thriving badly have been less hairy than they would have been had they made better progress. “It is suggested that it is best to judge the hairiness of an animal on wool grown when conditions are most favorable to the production of medulla, and that, in sheep that have been shorn, is usually just after shearing.^ “The balance between slight hairiness and freedom from medulla is easily tipped by non-gonetic .factors. On this and other grounds noil-hairy wools are believed to differ in the margin by which they escape 'hairiness. For preventing hairiness in his offspring one non-hniry rain may be expected to be better than another. To discover (lie means of judging nonhniry wools from this point of view is regarded as a major problem. “Without discussing the matter exhaustively, enough has been said, following earlier articles, to emphasise