Effects of a basic health programme on wool production in small sheep flocks in the Province of Valdivia, Chile

Abstract

This work was carried out in order to estimate the effects of a basic health programme (vaccination and helminth control) on wool production (fleece weight) and quality (fibre diameter and staple length) in sheep flocks of peasant farmers from different counties of the Province of Valdivia, 10th Region, Chile. 19 flocks with a total of 235 sheep were evaluated for each variable. Nine flocks were treated and 10 were used as controls, with at least 3 flocks per health treatment and county (Mafil, Lanco or Corral), in a factorial 2x3 randomized design. Least square mean for greasy fleece weight of the treated sheep (2.67 kg) was higher (p < 0 .01) than in control sheep (2.28 kg). An effect of location was also found (p < 0.01): Mafil sheep showed higher fleece weight (3.31 kg) than Corral sheep (2.25 kg), and these produced more than Lanco sheep (1.86 kg). The effect of the health programme was not apparent on staple length or fibre diameter, but location affected both variables. Staple length was positively correlated with fleece weight (0.293) and with fibre diameter (r=0.198).