Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T13:03:52.219Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A genetic analysis of wool and lamb production traits in Scottish Blackface Sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

A. Murphy
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH93U
J. Conington
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH93U
Get access

Extract

Scottish Blackface sheep have a multi-purpose role in the UK to produce breeding females and lambs for meat consumption. Over the last fifty years, wool has accounted for a very low proportion of economical return from hill sheep production in the UK. In recent years, the ratio of the value of lamb meat to wool clip has altered, with wool becoming relatively more important in particular for hill breeds. The consequence of direct selection for improved carcass traits in these breeds on wool quality is unknown. With other sheep breeds such as Merino, selection for improved wool traits has largely been undertaken with little regard to the impact on meat production. The objectives of this study are to quantify wool quality traits and examine genetic relationships between wool quality and carcass traits in Scottish Blackface sheep.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Conington, J, Bishop, SC, Grundy, B, Waterhouse, A, Simm, G, 1998 A comparison of growth and carcass traits in Scottish Blackface lambs sired by genetically lean or fat rams. Animal Science 67: 299:309 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilmour, AR, Cullis, BR, Welham, SJ, and Thompson, R, 1998. ASREML user’s manual. NSW Agriculture, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, New South Wales, Austraila.Google Scholar