Effect of early life selection using indirect characters on the subsequent incidence of fleece rot in a flock of South Australian Merino ewes.
1989
James P.J. | Ponzoni R.W. | Warren G.H. | MacLachlan H.G.
Correlations were estimated between 24 fleece and body characters measured at 1,2,3 and 4 years of age, and fleece rot induced by artificial wetting at 4 years of age in South Australian Merino ewes. The character most strongly and consistently related to fleece rot was greasy wool colour score which was correlated with fleece rot score when measured at all 4 ages and with liability to fleece rot when measured in 3 and 4-year-olds. A number of discriminant functions were developed from characters measured at each age and used to predict fleece rot susceptibility at 4 years of age. In most practical situations it appears there will be limited benefit from selecting ewes on the basis of indirect characters to reduce fleece rot susceptibility in the current generation.
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