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Variation of mohair staple length across Angora goat fleeces: implications for animal selection and fleece evaluation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2009

B. A. McGREGOR  and
K. L. BUTLER
B. A. McGREGOR*
Affiliation:
Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
K. L. BUTLER
Affiliation:
Biometrics Group, Future Farming Systems, Department of Primary Industries, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: bruce.mcgregor@deakin.edu.au
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Summary

The present study aimed to determine how the average mohair staple length (SL) differences between nine sampling sites vary between sex and flock, to identify differences in SL variability between sampling sites as a result of between-animal and between-sire variability and to determine SL correlations between sampling sites in between-animal and between-sire variability. Australian Angora goats (n=301) from two farms in southern Australia were sampled at 12 and 18 months of age at nine sites (mid side, belly, brisket, hind flank, hip, hock, mid back, neck and shoulder). Staples were taken prior to shearing at skin level and stretched SL determined. For each shearing, differences in SL between sampling sites, how these differences were affected by farm, sex and sire, and the covariance between sites for sire and individual animal effects were investigated by restricted maximum likelihood (REML) analyses. The median mid-side SL at 12 and 18 months of age was 110 and 130 mm, respectively, but the actual range in mid-side SL was 65–165 mm. There was an anterior–posterior decline in SL with the hock being particularly short. There was no evidence that the between-site correlation of the sire effects differed from 1, indicating that genetic selection for SL at one site will be reflected in SL over the whole fleece. However, low heritabilities of SL at the hock, belly and brisket or at any site at 12 months of age were obtained. There was more variability between sites than between sires, but the between-animal variation was greater. The hip and mid-back sites can be recommended for within-flock (culling) and genetic selection for SL due to their low sampling variability, moderate heritability and ease of location.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 147 , Issue 4 , August 2009 , pp. 493 - 501
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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