Some wool follicle and crimp parameters in fine-wool Tasmanian merinos

Abstract

Samples of wool and skin taken from the same animals were observed in finewool Tasmanian Merinos. It was found that highly crimped wool is produced by small follicles, follicle size being measured by the length of the chord or of the arc. It was also found that in animals on a high level of nutrition, high wool growth rate is associated with increases in both crimp chord and crimp depth. Whether the increase in wool growth rate brings about an increase in total crimp number per year is uncertain. The "pace-makers" of crimp size are the average wool fibres, which constitute the bulk of the staple. The longest and the shortest fibres conform to the average crimp chord by increasing or decreasing the crimp arc and amplitude respectively. A possibility that sebum may play a part in the cohesion of the crimp wave is discussed.