Nutritional responses in wool growth by four Merino genotypes of differing wool growth performance

Abstract

Sheep from four Merino flocks, different in annual clean fleece production when grazed together, were offered a range of nutritional treatments to compare their ability to digest dietary organic matter (experiment 1) and to compare the relationships of wool growth and fibre diameter with nutrient intake (experiment 2). The sheep were selected from a finewool (Fl), a strong wool (S), and two medium-Peppin (MP6 and MP10) flocks. The nutritional treatments varied intakes of two pelleted diets-B and F. Diet B consisted of oat grain, lucerne chaff, and oaten straw, while diet F was as for B but fortified with fishmeal. The digestibility of both diets was negatively related to the level of intake, and there were some differences between the flocks in their ability to digest organic matter. Clean wool growth per unit area of skin was curvilinearly related (P < 0.001) to N intake, but was not influenced by diet per se. The regression coefficient for the relationship of clean wool growth with N intake and the estimated maximum wool growth rate of flock F1 were less than the other flocks. However, flock MP10 grew less wool than flocks S and MP6 at any given intake. Variation in (fibre diameter)2 accounted for 0.6 of the variation in wool growth, with responses in fibre diameter to intake being similar to those observed in wool growth. The responses in plasma cystine of the flocks to N intake differed, with the relationship for flock F1 being curvilinear and reaching a maximum at an intake of 27 g N day-1, while the responses of the other flocks were essentially linear. The relationships between plasma cystine level and wool growth differed between the flocks such that wool growth of sheep from flocks S and MP6 was more responsive to increased plasma concentration of cystine.