BACKGROUND Fleece rot (FR) and body-strike of Merino sheep by the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina are major problems for the Australian wool industry, causing significant losses as a result of increased management costs coupled with reduced wool productivity and quality. In addition to direct effects on fleece quality, fleece rot is a major predisposing factor to blowfly strike on the body of she...

Quantitative measurements of blood flow (BF) to skin and several other tissues were made using radioactive microspheres in conscious sheep. The sheep were from established flocks that had been selectively bred for greater (Fleece plus) or lesser (Fleece minus) wool production. The BF rate per unit area of wool-bearing skin was significantly greater in the Fleece plus (n = 9) than in the Fleece ...

From the textile manufacturers’ point of view, coarse and medullated fibers are undesirable in production fine woolen materials, but highly desirable textiles yarns with special effects, especially carpet production. For sustainability, entire sheep fleece should be used, including fibers. The raw wool must scoured to obtain clean without damage or excessive fiber entanglement, a certain moistu...

This paper presents an analysis of DRESS and FLEECE in the speech of 80 New Zealanders. We show that DRESS is continuing to raise as part of the New Zealand English front vowels chain shift until it has almost completely overlapped the space occupied by FLEECE. In response, FLEECE is developing a more pronounced on-glide, so that a long vowel is becoming caught up in what has been a short vowel...

Twenty nonpregnant Angora does were used to determine seasonal effects on fleece traits, including fiber growth and follicle activity. Does grazed pastures and were supplemented with a 50% concentrate diet at a level near that required for BW maintenance. Clean fiber growth rate was greatest (p<0.05) among seasons in summer and lowest (p<0.05) in winter (1.13, 0.85, 0.98 and 1.20mg/cm(2) per da...

Fleece rot was induced in 15 young Merino ewes by treatment with repeated application of simulated rain. Forty days after induction, treated and five control ewes were subjected to 50 mm of simulated rain which contained a water soluble dye. Treated ewes absorbed significantly more water than controls (2.3 kg to 1.5 kg). Wool samples were collected at ten cm intervals along the dorsal midline t...