The production performance, repeatability and heritability estimates for live weight, fleece weight and fiber characteristics of alpacas farmed in the South Island of New Zealand are reported. Male alpacas produced heavier fleeces (p<0.001) than females, but with relatively similar fiber diameter. Mean (S.E.) shearing weight, greasy fleece weight (GFW), clean fleece weight (CFW), yield, staple ...

Analyses of birth and weaning weights, fleece weights of ewes, and number born per litter of Polypay sheep collected at the U.S. Sheep Experimental Station from 1978 through 1998, confirmed previous analyses of three other dual-purpose breeds that cytoplasmic effects do not contribute to variation in these four traits. In general, estimates of genetic parameters that would be needed for nationa...

Merino yearling records from 1988 to 1992 birth years in ultrafine wool selection and random control flocks at Tara Hills High Country Station, New Zealand were analysed for live weight, fleece weight and wool characteristics. Estimates of heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations among traits using REML methods are presented. Heritabilities (h2) of birth, weaning, autumn, spring and su...

The reliability and feasibility of 10 animal-based measures of ewe welfare were examined for use in extensive sheep production systems. Measures were: Body condition score (BCS), rumen fill, fleece cleanliness, fleece condition, skin lesions, tail length, dag score, foot-wall integrity, hoof overgrowth and lameness, and all were examined on 100 Merino ewes (aged 2-4 years) during mid-pregnancy,...

The association of fleece characters with susceptibility to dermatophilosis was studied in two flocks located on the south coast of Western Australia. The characters examined were wax content, suint content, wax to suint ratio, suint pH, yield, fleece wettability, fibre diameter, coefficient of fibre diameter variation, suint direct extract, direct extract pH and electrical conductivity. The re...

The contribution of genetic and phenotypic parameters affecting fleece traits in 3/4th bred 2425 Bharat Merino Lambs sired by 154 rams over period of 1982-96 was evaluated. The year and season of shearing, sex of lamb, type of birth, age and weight of lamb contributed 8 to 42% of the phenotypic variability in the fleece traits. The least square means for the first and second six monthly greasy ...

Two forms of pollutants are usually discharged from scouring wool fleece; namely the effluent liquid phase and solid phase. These phases comprise a significant quantity wax which would be suitable candidate for valuable products applications. This work is devoted to extraction, recovery, characterization lanolin fleece different sheep breeds assign possible ways its utilization in textile field...

It was thought to be impossible to prolong the pregnancy in a case of uterine rupture in the second trimester. We encountered a case of rupture of the pregnant uterus in early mid-trimester, which we repaired with suture and overlapping of collagen fleece coated with fibrin glue, resulting in pregnancy prolongation until the 34th week. Our case and five previously reported cases were reviewed. ...