Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-fnpn6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-25T14:53:47.286Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cycles of wool follicle activity in some shetland sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. L. Ryder
M. L. Ryder
Affiliation:
A.R.C. Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
Get access

Summary

The wool growth cycle in three rams and three ewes was studied by taking monthly wool and skin samples for periods up to 3 years. The percentage of inactive follicles and of medullated fibres was recorded, fleece length was measured and change in fibre diameter and pigmentation between summer and winter was investigated.

Casting of the fleece appeared to depend more on the thinning of fibres than on the proportion with brush ends, casting in some instances taking place with only 30% brush ends, while not in others with as much as 70% follicle inactivity.

Follicles began to become inactive in both sexes in September following the autumnal equinox. The secondary follicles had a greater proportion of inactivity (mean of 45% compared with 20% in the primaries) but tended to regrow earlier, and regrowth in the rams tended to begin before that in the ewes. Regrowth as a whole began from January to March. Subsidiary cycles of inactivity of about 2 months' duration were evident.

Maximum growth in length occurred between April and October. A difference in mean diameter of only a few microns could be detected between summer and winter. Maximum medullation occurred in July in the rams and August in the ewes. Decrease in pigmentation in winter was brought about by a lowering of the density of pigment granules within the fibres.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , August 1971 , pp. 511 - 520
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1971

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Doney, J. M. 1971. In Nature Conservancy Monograph on Soay sheep (in press).Google Scholar
Ryder, M. L. 1960. A study of the coat of the mouflon Ovis musimon with special reference to seasonal change. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 135: 387–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryder, M. L. 1966. Coat structure and seasonal shedding in goats. Anim. Prod. 8: 289–302.Google Scholar
Ryder, M. L. 1968. Fleece structure in some native and unimproved breeds of sheep. Z. Tierziicht. ZuchtBiol. 85: 143–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryder, M. L. 1969. Development, structure and seasonal change in the coat of Wiltshire sheep. Anim. Prod. 11: 467–477.Google Scholar
Ryder, M. L. 1971. Wool growth cycles in Soay sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 76: 183–197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryder, M. L. and Stephenson, S. K. 1968. Wool Growth. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Turner, H. G. and Schleger, A. V. 1970. An analysis of growth processes in cattle coats and their relations to coat type and body weight gain. Aust. J. biol. Sci. 23: 201–218.Google Scholar
Youatt, W. 1840. Sheep. Baldwin and Cradock, London.Google Scholar