Effect of housing and nutritional interventions during winter on wool attributes of Corriedale sheep

There are several factors that can directly or indirectly influence wool quality and quantity in sheep, the main elements being genetic and environmental factors. An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different management/housing interventions during winter on wool quality and yield in Corriedale ewes. Forty healthy pregnant ewes were selected and divided into four groups (G₁, G₂, G₃, G₄) based on their body weight and parity. Throughout the study period, the groups G₁ and G₃ were reared inside the shed, while G₂ and G₄ were reared in an open shed with four-sided wire fencing and a roof shelter for direct rain/snow protection. The basic ration of all the four groups consisted of 1.25 kg roughage/head/day and 500 g concentrate/head/day. G₃ and G₄ were fed additional concentrate @ 100 g/head/day. Significant differences were observed in the crimp frequency, fibre diameter, fibre length and medullation percentage. G₂ and G₄ showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher fibre diameter but lower crimp frequency. Also, medullation percentage was significantly (P < 0.05) higher for G₂. However, the studied rearing systems showed no significant differences for wool yield, staple length, scouring yield and burr content. The study concludes that the wool quality parameters observed in sheep, exposed to cold environment, meet most of the requirements of textile sector and thus can be reared in open houses without any adverse effects.