Production in Some Pure Breeds of Sheep and Their Crosses. IV. Effect of Crossbreeding on Wool Production

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Abstract
The study was made to determine the effect of crossbreeding on wool production traits. Fleece data from yearling ewes of four purebred groups of sheep, Hampshire, Suffolk, Dorset, Targhee, one strain evolved from a Columbia-Southdale cross, seven groups of two-breed cross ewes, and two groups of three-breed cross ewes were used in this study. The data included a total of 404 yearling ewes sheared in the 3 years 1967, 1968 and 1969. The traits studied were staple length, grease fleece weight, clean fleece weight, fiber diameter, and coefficient of variability of fiber diameter. Years, breeds and age differences in the yearling ewes were all highly significant sources of variation for all traits except for coefficient of variability of fiber diameter. For this trait only years had a significant effect. Age of dam did not affect any of the traits measured. Type of birth and rearing of the yearling ewes affected only grease and clean fleece weight. On grease and clean fleece weight, there seems to be evidence that more heterosis is expressed in some crosses than in others. The Hampshire x Columbia-Southdale shows a 27% increase in fleece weight while the Suffolk x Targhee is slightly negative. Staple length was increased in four out of seven of the two-breed crosses but was decreased in the three-breed crosses. Fiber diameter was increased in five out of seven of the two-breed crosses and increased in one of the two three-breed crosses. The coefficient of variability of fiber diameter decreased with crossbreeding in four of the seven two-breed crosses and in one of the three-breed crosses. Copyright © 1971. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1971 by American Society of Animal Science.

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