The influence of nutrition during winter on growth rate and sulphur content of wool of pregnant Scottish Blackface and Romney ewes

Abstract

SUMMARYPregnant ewes of the Scottish Blackface and Romney breeds were group fed to achieve different patterns of live-weight change between mating and parturition. One group had a net maternal live-weight increase of about 8%, the second a net loss of about 5% and the third a loss of about 16%. Wool growth and sulphur content of the wool were measured at intervals. During the period 6–8 weeks prepartum wool growth rate in the Blackface breed was low and there were no significant differences amongst treatments. Differences in sulphur content were highly significant (ranging between 3·97 and 3·46% for fine and coarse fractions respectively in the well-nourished sheep down to 3·68 and 3·20% in the undernourished group). In the Romney breed the situation was reversed. In the prepartum period there were no significant differences amongst groups in sulphur content (mean value 3·68%), but differences in wool growth rate were highly significant (0·021, 0·012 and 0·009 g/100 cm2/day).