Phenotypic correlations of fleece characteristics with body weight, skin, follicles and wool colour in Merino sheep

Abstract

Phenotypics correlations between fleece, body weight, skin follicles and colour, measured in 100 Merino Australian hoggets, were determined in this study. The mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation of diameter, percentage of fibres with more than 30 microns (F>30µ), greasy and clean fleece weight, body weight, strenght and compression resistance, stapple lenght, wax and suint percenrage, and colour were measured. Characteristics such as wool style (colour, character, handle, tip and stapple) and skin were subjetively evaluated by scores. Follicle density (DF) and numbers of secondary follicle por primary (S/P ratio) were determined by hystological skin cuts. Correlations between the mean diameter with standard deviation, percentage of F>30µ, and clean fleece weight were significant, being 0.35**, 0.72**, -0.44** and 0.23*, respectively (statistically significant: **P<0.001 *P<0.05). Among characteristics that integrate the Style, moderate and negative correlations were found between handle with mean diameter (-0.44**) and with + a percentage of F>30µ (-0.33**). Colour appreciated subjectively and objectively was related to suint percentage (0.47** and 0.27** respectively). S/P ratio was positive and significative correlated to DF (0.60**) and moderate and negative correlated to mean diameter (-0.43**). From this study, it was concluded that the most uniform and softer fleeces were those which had least fibre diameter, less percentage of F>30µ and resistance to compression, greated FD and S/P diameter, and that the least suint content was found in white fleeces.