Holman, B.W.B., and Malau-Aduli, A.E.O. (2014) Sex effects on lamb wool quality under pasture and lucerne hay basal diets. In: Animal Production in Australia: proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production (30) p. 64. From: 30th Biennial Conference of the Australian Society of Animal Production, 8-12 September 2014, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

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Abstract

Wool quality traits are routinely used for price discrimination. This has prompted many selection and nutritional management tools to be tailored towards best exploiting these traits for better profitability. Within Australia, the wool industry is spread across regions prone to seasonal change, and analysis of pasture-fed and Lucerne hay basal diets can provide a summation of this variation. The effect of sex and basal diet on wool quality traits is the objective of this research.

Experimental lambs used were concurrently studied with a 9 week feeding trial detailed by Holman (2013), and an overview of research methodology follows. Over 2 years, a total of 48 lambs were allocated to either ryegrass pasture (Year 1; n = 24) or Lucerne hay (Year 2; n = 24) basal diets as balanced by sex (ewes, wethers). All lambs were run on these basal diets together with midside wool sampled at the commencement and conclusion of the feeding trial. Wool samples were commercially analysed (AWTA, VIC) and raw data was transformed to express change in wool quality trait over the feeding trial. This was fitted into a factorial ANOVA model in ‘Statistical Analysis System, Version 9.1’ software to identify significant effects.Ewe lambs’ wool quality traits under Lucerne hay tended to change lesser over the feeding trial than those under pasture-fed basal diets. However, no significant change was observed (P>0.05). This is thought to stem from the relative brevity between commencing and concluding wool sampling which limited the effectiveness of any sex and basal diet interaction on wool quality trait change. The sample size is also thought to have contributed to the observed variation (SE) and highlights a need for more experimental work.

We can conclude that lamb wool quality under pasture-fed or Lucerne hay basal diets is unaffected by sex over a 9 week period.

Item ID:	55040
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
ISSN:	0728-5965
Related URLs:	Organisation
Date Deposited:	16 Aug 2018 02:22
FoR Codes:	07 AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES > 0702 Animal Production > 070204 Animal Nutrition @ 100%
SEO Codes:	83 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 8303 Livestock Raising > 830311 Sheep - Wool @ 100%
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