Productivity and Reproductive Performance of Mixed-Age Ewes across 20 Years of Selection for Ultrafine Wool in Uruguay

Zully Ramos, Hugh Thomas Blair, Ignacio De Barbieri, Gabriel Ciappesoni, Fabio Montossi and Paul Richard Kenyon
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Zully Ramos: School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
Hugh Thomas Blair: School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
Ignacio De Barbieri: Estación Experimental INIA Tacuarembó, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Ruta 5 km 386, Tacuarembó 45000, Uruguay
Gabriel Ciappesoni: Estación Experimental INIA Tacuarembó, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Ruta 5 km 386, Tacuarembó 45000, Uruguay
Fabio Montossi: Estación Experimental INIA Tacuarembó, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Ruta 5 km 386, Tacuarembó 45000, Uruguay
Paul Richard Kenyon: School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: This study reports the phenotypic trends for wool, growth, and reproductive traits in mixed-age ewes after twenty years of genetic selection. Data were obtained from the Merino nucleus flock in Uruguay between 1999 and 2020. Overall, the aim of this selection flock was to reduce the fiber diameter (FD) and increase both the clean fleece weight (CFW) and live weight (LW). Data on ewe wool traits, LW, body condition score (BCS), the total number of lambs weaned (TLW), and the total LW of lambs weaned (TWW) across all lambing opportunities (1–8 mating seasons) were analyzed. Between 1292 and 2063 ewes were measured, depending on the trait considered. Ewe FD decreased by approximately 3 µm (19–16 µm), whereas greasy fleece weight (GFW) increased by 0.2 kg. This improvement in wool traits was accompanied by increases in LW at mating (3 kg), decreases in BCS at mating (approximately by 1 unit), and a small positive change in TWW across years. This study demonstrated that increasing farmer income by selecting for finer wool, heavier fleeces, and heavier animals can be obtained without compromising ewe lifetime reproduction.

Keywords: sheep; wool; selection; live weight; body condition score; lifetime reproduction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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