Diameter-crimp frequency relationship of wool from sheep on different breeds and age groups, and in varying environmental conditions

Abstract

In this paper, the effects of breed (Corriedale and Romney), age group (2-7 years old) and sampling year (1978-81) upon the fibre diameter-crimp frequency relationship were examined in 2,878 wool samples. Breed was the factor which contributed most to the variation in the overall diameter-crimp frequency relationship. At a given crimp number, the results showed that younger sheep (two to three-year old) produced wools significantly finer than the old sheep and that environmental variations among years influenced the adjusted mean fibre diameter. The data suggested that, by affecting the crimp to diameter correspondence, the factors examined here may have a direct and significant consequence on the efficiency of predicting the wool fibre diameter through the staple crimp frequency.