Variation in fleece weight and the significance of wool-price differences when culling

Abstract

Attention is drawn to the productive significance of a consistently-occurring fall in fleece weight with increasing fineness of wool, and to the stable relationship of the price ratios for wool of different qualities. It is concluded that, providing other productive characters are not affected, there should be a selection bias towards fine-woolled sheep in the Threequarterbred, and Corriedale and Halfbred groups. In the Romney and Crossbred group, medium-woolled sheep should be discriminated against. It is further concluded that efficient selection for fleece weight must involve rejection of low producers within separate quality-groups rather than from the flock as a unit