The use of Atlas of morphology of sheep skin and wool cover for improving of breeding work in sheep breeding

The purpose of the research was to consider the possibilities of using the “Atlas of the morphology of the skin and wool of sheep to improve breeding work in sheep breeding” (further in the text is the Atlas) on the basis of many years of own research and analysis of literary sources. This Atlas contains data on the morphology of the skin and wool cover of sheep of diff erent productivity directions, including breeding rams of Australian merino breed from the breeding farms UARDRY, COLLINSVILLE, HADDON RIG, EAST BUNGAREE, as well as domestic fine-fleeced breeds, semi-rough-wool and shorttailed breeds. The characteristic features and breed features are considered, presented such as a data bank of indicators of the histostructure of sheep skin of more than 20 breeds of Russia, a database of qualitative indicators of wool productivity of breeding rams of leading breeding farms in the south of Russia, allowing to objectively trace the effectiveness of breeding work. A huge array of data on different breeds allowed us to identify a common pattern – a high correlation between the ratio of secondary follicles to primary and the fleece of wool. The correlation coefficient of the size of the hair group at birth with wool shearing at one–year–old sheep was r = +0,69–0,78, the correlation coefficient of the total follicle density at birth with wool shearing at one-year-old was r = +0,85–0,88. This pattern became the basis of the method of predicting wool productivity of sheep at an early age. It is important that for use in breeding, the ratio of follicles had a suffi cient level of heritability – h2 = 0,46–0,54. It is scientifi cally proven that the inclusion of histological parameters of the skin, its total thickness, the ratio of the epidermis, pilar and reticular layers, allows us to supplement and obtain an objective expert assessment of sheepskins. This Atlas should serve as a visual aid to scientists and breeders when breeding new breeds, lines, types of sheep of different directions of productivity.