An Assessment of Omani Native Sheep Fiber Production and Quality Characteristics
| Autor: | Osman Mahgoub, Isam T. Kadim, Ahmed Al-Dhahab, Reynaldo B. Bello, Issa S. Al-Amri, Aisha A. Ambu Ali, Samera Khalaf |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Vol 15, Iss 0, Pp 9-14 (2010) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 2410-1060 2410-1079 |
| DOI: | 10.24200/jams.vol15iss0pp9-14 |
| Popis: | Wool production and quality measurements were carried out on 100 Omani native female sheep (body weight 38.6 ± 5.5 kg; age 993 ± 488 d). Sheep were kept in partially shaded pens and fed ad libitum Rhodes grass hay (crude protein 8.83%) plus a daily amount of 200 g general ruminant concentrate (crude protein 16.5% DM). Animals were shorn once a year and samples were taken from the left mid-side site to determine fleece and fiber characteristics. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the fine appearance of the wool fibers. A skin sample was used to study the histological arrangement and number of secondary and primary follicles. The greasy fleece weight (GFW) in Omani sheep ranged between 0.50- 2.65 kg (mean 1.12 ± 0.43 kg) and the GFW expressed as a percentage of BW ranged between 1.0-7.6 with a mean of 2.9 ± 1.16. Clean wool yield in Omani sheep fleece ranged between 57.1 and 88.4% with a mean of 76.4 ± 7.6. Omani sheep fleece contained various staple shapes and had a mean staple length of 22.9 ± 1.16 cm, 4.3 ± 0.8 crimps per staple; and a mean fiber diameter of 46 ± 12 µm. Electron microscopy revealed three types of fibers; wrap-around, angled type and polygonal and elongated scales. This study indicated a wide variation in the wool characteristics of Omani native sheep fleece, which suggested that selection may be employed to improve wool production and quality in these sheep. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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