@conference {40609,
	title = {Effect of selection for greasy fleece weight on the components of fleece weight in New Zealand Romney sheep},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {54},
	year = {1994},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {243-246},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Variation in the clean fleece weight (W) between ewe hoggets born in  
1988 from the Massey University fleece weight selected (FW) and control (C)  
flocks was related to variation in four components: predicted skin surface area  
(S), mean number of fibres (follicles) per unit area of skin (N), mean fibre  
cross-sectional area (A) and mean staple length (L).  Mean W ({\textpm}pse) was 3.34  
and 2.48 {\textpm} 0.07 kg for the FW and C lines, respectively.  Of the components, L  
(147 and 126 {\textpm} 3.1 mm; P<0.001), N (29.6 and 27.0 {\textpm} 0.83 fibres/mm2;  
P<0.05) and A (1096 and 1002 {\textpm} 28.0 {\textmu}m2; P<0.05) were significantly greater  
in the FW line (n=27) when compared to the C line (n=22). 
 
The difference in W between the two lines was apportioned into contributions  
from the various components using the percentage deviation technique.  The  
influence of combined components, wool weight per unit area (N x A x L),  
fibre volume (A x L) and total number of fibres (S x N) on W was also  
examined.  The most important contributor to the difference in W between  
lines was L with A and N being less important; the contribution of S was  
relatively small.  Wool weight per unit area had far more influence on 
between line differences in W than wool growing surface area (S) and fibre 
volume was more important than the total fibre number. 
 
Attempts were also made to assess the relative importance of the components  
of fleece weight between sheep within each line.  The standardised partial  
regression coefficients of log transformed values of each component on W  
were; for the selected line, L = 0.26, A = 0.36, N = 0.16, S = 0.38; for the  
control line, L = 0.08, A = 0.58, N = 0.45, S = 0.53.  High values of S relative  
to the other components of W suggest that the size of animal is more important  
in determining the phenotypic differences in fleece weight within the line than  
the genetic differences between lines. 
 },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Liu AH and Wickham GA and Blair HT}
}
@conference {40597,
	title = {Reduction of carcass fatness in overfat lambs fed low energy diets supplemented with protein},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {54},
	year = {1994},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {193-196},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Forty crossbred (Dorset Down x (Border Leicester x Romney)) overfat  
(ultrasonic GR 13.3 {\textpm} 0.5 mm), ewe lambs aged approximately 6 months and  
weighing 40.4 ({\textpm}0.8) kg live weight were randomly allocated to either an initial  
slaughter group or one of three dietary treatment groups on the basis of live  
weight and ultrasonic GR measurement.  Dietary treatments consisted of three  
pelleted diets that contained 101 g (MP), 189g (HP) and 274g (SP) crude  
protein with estimated metabolizable energy contents ranging from 7.1 to 7.8  
MJ per kg dry matter.  Lambs were fed <I>ad libitum</I> for 42 days. 
 
Throughout the experiment, daily live weight gain was significantly higher for  
MP than HP or SP lambs (P<0.01).  However, this was solely due to greater gut  
fill for MP lambs compared to HP and SP lambs (P<0.05).  There were no  
significant treatment effects on mean carcass weight.  However, all treatments  
significantly (P<0.05) reduced GR tissue depth (measured on hot carcass at  
slaughter) by 20\%, 19\% and 24\% for MP, HP and SP lambs, respectively.   
Chemical fat content in the carcass significantly decreased (8\%, 12\% and 16\%,  
respectively (P<0.05)).  Differences between dietary treatments were not  
significant for these traits.  <I>M. longissimus</I> dorsi area and protein content of  
the carcass were not significantly altered by dietary treatments (P>0.05). 
 
It is concluded that carcass fat in overfat lambs can be successfully reduced  
by feeding diets low in energy and supplemented with medium to high levels of  
protein without adverse effects on carcass protein.  High levels of dietary  
protein do not appear to be necessary for this to occur. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Liu AH and Young MJ}
}
