THE QUALITY OF WOOL AND HISTOSTRUCTURE INDICES OF THE WOOL AND MEAT SHEEP SKIN

Abstract

A brief description of the wool quality and skin histological structures in the Transbaikal fine-fleece breed sheep of the Khangil type of the wool and meat productivity direction is presented. The object in the research on the study of the wool quality and skin histological structure indices were stud rams, young rams, ewes and ewe lambs. The breeding stock of the Transbaikal breed was characterized by the following indices: wool length – 5.3-6.1 cm, fineness – 20.9-23.6 microns, strength – 8.3-8.4 cN/tex. In young rams and ewe lambs, these figures were respectively 5.0-6.9 and 4.7-6.1 cm, 19.1-20.3 and 20.9 and 21.0 microns, 7.98-7.9 and 8.0-8.6 cN/tex. The coarsening of the wool over the studied periods was 2.63 microns for the stud rams, and 2.77 microns for the ewes. The follicles density in young rams and ewe lambs varied from 55.33 to 61.43 and from 56.6 to 59.1 units per mm², respectively, with a sufficiently high ratio of SF/PF – 12.5. The follicles density in young rams for the studied periods increased by 11.0%, and the thickness of the skin by 8.6%, in ewe lambs it has made 4.2 and 2.5%, respectively. Comparative data on the basic properties of wool and indices of the skin histological structure in the Khangil type of the Transbaikal fine-fleece breed show that purposeful selection and breeding work leads to an increase of productivity and an improvement in the quality indices. The deep, harmonic arrangement of hair follicles, a large number of them with the smaller diameter in the complex, a high SF/PF ratio, the average clearance in the sweat and secretory cavities of the sebaceous glands are characteristic features of the skin and wool coat in sheep young of fine-fleece productivity direction.