Electrical Characteristics Based on Resistance and Impedance of Polish Olkuska Sheep Lambs Wool

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to determine the electrical characteristics of wool derived from Polish Olkuska breed lambs. The comparison involved the features of wool both in its natural state and washed. The lambs were bathed on the 1st and 14th days of life. Electrical features were determined on the basis of impedance (Ω) and resistance (Ω) for wool samples from 16 lambs from twin litters. The wool samples were collected from the lambs on the 14th and 35th days of life. The results of blood morphology (RBC, WBC, HGB, HCT, PLT, MCV, MCH, MCHC) were used in order to evaluate the health status of both lambs subjected to bathing and control ones. The level of resistance and impedance at low frequencies in both cases demonstrated the step changes from 0 Ω to over 100 MΩ. This shows that wool has the features of a dielectric (insulator) in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 64 kHz. At a frequency of > 64 kHz, there was a linear trend of decline in the value from about 30 kΩ to the lowest values of resistance and impedance at a frequency of 1 MHz, and these values amounted to > 7.3 kΩ and > 4 kΩ, respectively. The effect of lamb bathing on the electrical properties of wool was demonstrated. These treatments resulted in an increase in resistance of wool from 35-day-old lambs bathed on the 14th day of life compared to the control group (maximum differences at the level of 40–50%). In turn, wool of lambs bathed on the 1st day of life had lower resistance than wool from lambs in the control group, on average 10–20% lower. No significant correlations were demonstrated between bathing treatment and lamb health status, except for higher levels of leukocytes in the 14-day-old lambs subject to bathing on the 1st day of life compared to the control, which amounted to 8.76 x 109/L, and 6.38 x 109/L (P ≤ 0.05), respectively.