Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Fibre production by beef cows

B. A. McGregor A C and J. F. Graham B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic. 3217, Australia.

B Department of Primary Industries, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: bruce.mcgregor@deakin.edu.au

Animal Production Science 50(6) 568-572 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN09219
Submitted: 17 December 2009  Accepted: 29 March 2010   Published: 11 June 2010

Abstract

Cattle grow and shed fibre which assists them adapt to seasonal changes in the environment. In the absence of cattle fibre production data for southern Australia, Angus, Hereford, Simmental and Limousin cows and crosses between these breeds grazing perennial pastures at Hamilton, Victoria were sampled in late winter. The fibre-growing area on the sides of cattle was measured, fibre sampled at the mid-side site and the sampling area determined. Fibre was tested for fibre diameter distribution, clean washing yield and fibre length measured. Cows were 3–7 years of age, liveweights were 412–712 kg and the mean fibre-growing area was 2.2 m2. This produced an average 682 g of total fibre (range 346–1175 g). The mean fibre diameter of all fibres was 51.7 µm (range 43–62 µm) and 18% of fibres were <36 µm (range 6–39%). The clean washing yield was 92.4% (range 87.4–95.8%). Fibre length averaged 21 mm. Increasing the age, liveweight and condition score of cows and increasing weight of clean fibre were associated with significant increases in mean fibre diameter. Breed of cattle did not affect fibre production (P > 0.1) but did affect mean fibre diameter (P < 0.05). The quantity of fibre production indicates potential for low value textile production. The high level of total fibre production, twice that of an earlier report, and fibre shedding from cattle suggests that white fibre-producing animals such as Merino sheep, Angora and cashmere goats and alpaca should avoid using cattle-handling facilities, particularly in the month before shearing.

Additional keywords: exotic fibres, hair growth, wool contamination.


Acknowledgements

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation provided financial support. Mrs Val Park, Riverina Fleece Testing Services, Albury, NSW, undertook the fibre testing.


References


Anon. (1986) ‘Cashmere goat notes.’ (Ed. RJ Browne) (Australian Cashmere Growers Association: Kellyville, NSW)

Anon. (2008) ‘PrimeSafe Annual Report 2007–08.’ (PrimeSafe: South Melbourne)

AWEX (2007) ‘Code of Practice for the AWEX Quality System. Preparation of Australian wool clips. The woolclasser.’ (Australian Wool Exchange Limited: Sydney)

Bennett JW (1964) Thermal insulation of cattle coats. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 5, 160–166. open url image1

Berman A, Volcani R (1961) Seasonal and regional variations in coat characteristics of dairy cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 12, 528–538.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Carter HB, Dowling DF (1954) The hair follicle and apocrine gland population of cattle skin. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 5, 745–754.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dowling DF (1958) Seasonal changes in coat characters in cattle. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 2, 69–80. open url image1

Dowling DF, Nay T (1960) Cyclic changes in the follicles and hair coat in cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 11, 1064–1071.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fleet MR (1996) Pigmentation types – understanding the heritability and importance. International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science 44, 264–280. open url image1

Fleet MR (2008) ‘Dark fibre control in sheep and wool.’ Fact Sheet No. 21/01. (Primary Industries and Resources SA: Adelaide) Available at http://www.awta.com.au/Documents/FactSheets/Fact_sheet_014.pdf [Verified 25 March 2010]

Fleet MR, Stafford JE, Dawson KA, Dolling CHS (1986) Contamination of white wool by melanin-pigmented fibres when pigmented and white sheep graze together. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 26, 159–163.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fleet MR, Turk JA, Cottell MA, Keynes GN (2001) Merino wool contamination from rearing Damara crossbred lambs. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 725–731.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fleet MR, Fulwood WK, Fotheringham AS, Bennie MJ (2002a) Factors affecting Merino wool contamination in crossbreeding. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, 535–540.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fleet MR, Mahar TJ, Denney SI (2002b) The detection of pigmented and medullated fibres in core samples of commercial sale lots from Merino ewes mated to Damara fat tail rams. International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science 50, 92–101. open url image1

Foulds RA, Wong P, Andrews MW (1984) Dark fibres and their economic importance. International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science 33, 91–100. open url image1

Graham JF, Clark AJ, Hayes GJ, Kearney GA, Deland MPB (2000) The effect of genotype on growth and fatness when Angus, Hereford, Limousin and Simmental sires are mated to Angus and Hereford cows. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 13, 325–328. open url image1

Hatcher S, Foulds RA, Lightfoot RJ, Purvis IW (1999) The relative wool contamination potential of Awassi and black Merino sheep when penned together with white Merino ewes. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 39, 519–528.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hayman RH (1965) Hair growth in cattle. In ‘Biology of the skin and hair growth’. (Eds AG Lyne, BF Short) pp. 575–590. (Angus and Robertson: Sydney)

Hayman RH, Nay T (1961) Observations on hair growth and shedding in cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 12, 513–527.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

International Wool Textile Organisation (2005 a) ‘Determination of wool base and vegetable matter base of core samples of raw wool.’ IWTO-19. (International Wool Textile Organisation: Ilkley, UK)

International Wool Textile Organisation (2005 b) ‘Measurement of the mean and distribution of fibre diameter of wool using an optical fibre diameter analyser (OFDA).’ IWTO-47. (International Wool Textile Organisation: Ilkley, UK)

International Wool Textile Organisation (2005 c) ‘Determination of medullated fibre content of wool and mohair samples by opacity measurement using an OFDA.’ IWTO-57. (International Wool Textile Organisation: Ilkley, UK)

Marler JW , Baxter P (2004) The 2003 Australian Wool Innovation on-farm fibre measurement instrument evaluation trial. Part 1: accuracy and precision trials. Technology and Standards Committee, Evian Report CTF 01. (International Wool Textile Organisation: Ilkley, UK)

McGregor BA (1996) Production and processing of cashmere in China. Report of a Study Tour to Hebei Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Agriculture Victoria, Attwood.

McGregor BA (2007) Cashmere fibre crimp, crimp form and fibre curvature. International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science 55, 106–129. open url image1

McGregor BA, Butler KL (2008a) Cashmere production and fleece attributes associated with farm of origin, age and sex of goat in Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 1090–1098.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

McGregor BA, Butler KL (2008b) The effects of cashmere attributes on the efficiency of dehairing and dehaired cashmere length. Textile Research Journal 78, 486–496.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | open url image1

Millar P (1986) The performance of cashmere goats. Animal Breeding Abstracts 54, 181–199. open url image1

Payne RW (Ed.) (2009) ‘The guide to Genstat. Release 11. Part 2: statistics.’ (VSN International: Hertfordshire, UK)

Peterson AD, Gheradi SG (1996) Measurement of cashmere yield and mean fibre diameter using the Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 36, 429–435.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Sanderson RH , Wilkinson BR (1990) The characteristics, performance and end-use of deer, crossbred goat, cattle and horse fibres in blends with New Zealand wool. Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Specialty Animal Fibres. Aachen. Schriftenreihe des Deutschen Wollforschungsinstitutes 106, 59–75.

Schleger AV, Turner HG (1960) Analysis of coat characters of cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 11, 875–885.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Turner HG, Schleger AV (1960) The significance of coat type in cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 11, 645–663.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Turner HN , Hayman RH , Riches JH , Roberts NF , Wilson LT (1953) Physical definition of sheep and their fleece for breeding and husbandry studies. Divisional Report No. 4. (Series S.W.-2). Division of Animal Health and Production, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Melbourne.

Watkins P , Buxton A (1992) Luxury fibres. The Economist Intelligence Unit Special Report No. 2633. Business International, London.

Yeates NTM (1955) Photoperiodicity in cattle. I. Seasonal changes in coat character and their importance in heat regulation. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 6, 891–902.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1