The Rex rabbit is a typical fur breed. Wool density, hair length, wool fineness, and hide area are the main indices of fur quality. We previously found that the CCNA2 gene plays an important role in hair follicle initiation and development, and it is involved in the distinctive wool density of the Rex rabbit. It is an important candidate gene for wool density selection through marker-assis...

Genetic and phenotypic parameters were estimated for dagginess, breech, wool, and fiber traits from approximately 29,500 progeny born in 2009 and 2010 in New Zealand dual-purpose ram breeding sheep flocks. Dagginess is adherence of fecal matter to the wool, and this study investigates the genetic and phenotypic correlations between dagginess and breech and wool traits. Estimates for heritabilit...

Wool handling is an important rural occupation where workers process 200 or more fleeces daily, separating them into various quality components. Loads and postures they experience carry substantial risk of low back pain (LBP). Although a formal skill training structure exists, interaction with loads and LBP is unknown. We examined whether skill and LBP influenced trunk postures and loads of 60 ...

I. The nutritive value of solubilized wool protein prepared by dissolving finely ground wool in sodium sulphide-sodium sulphite solution followed by precipitation with 40 % acetic acid has been tested by incorporating it into protein-free diets containing the amounts of vitamins and minerals required by weanling rats. 2. At the level of 10 % (w/w) of the diet, solubilized wool protein failed to...

Data on the effect of various alkaline reagents on the physical and chemical properties of wool yarn are presented. When wool is treated with dilute sodiumhydroxide solutions, a rapid splitting off of a portion of the sulphur occurs. On continued treatment, the sulphur content of the residual wool approaches a constant value of about 1.8 percent. The results indicate that the alkaline treatment...

Wool fabrics were treated with keratin hydrolysate in isolated systems, in systems incorporating a cross-linking enzyme, and in systems with nanoparticle silver. The dimensions of wool fabric were controlled after keratin applications and the strength of bleached wool fabric was improved. Keratin applications imparted these improved properties when applied alone and when applied with the enzyme...

Purpose Australia is the largest supplier of high quality wool in the world. The environmental burden of sheep production must be shared between wool and meat. We examine different methods to handle these co-products and focus on proportional protein content as a basis for allocation, that is, protein mass allocation (PMA). This is the first comprehensive investigation applying PMA for calculat...

An investigation into the moisture content in the fleece of Merino sheep was commenced after proposing the hypothesis that moisture and relative humidity were required at the skin surface for the survival of the 1st instar larvae and the initiation of a strike. A method for drying wool was developed which created a minimal disturbance to its normal constituents. It was shown that, in dry weathe...

Quantitative measurements of blood flow (BF) to skin and several other tissues were made using radioactive microspheres in conscious sheep. The sheep were from established flocks that had been selectively bred for greater (Fleece plus) or lesser (Fleece minus) wool production. The BF rate per unit area of wool-bearing skin was significantly greater in the Fleece plus (n = 9) than in the Fleece ...

The presence of dark fibres in white wool results in reduced profits or in cost recovery claims by wool processors and in reduced confidence in wool as an apparel fibre, which ultimately means lower prices for greasy wool. The allowances set by fabric manufacturers for contaminants are extremely small, typically no more than 3 contaminant faults per garment or per running metre of fabric, while...