256 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, III
TABLE I.
Body-weight in lb.
|
GROUP I |
GROUP II |
||||||
|
Animal |
Pre-exptl, |
Exptl. |
Per |
Animal |
Pre- |
Exptl. |
Per |
|
1 |
64.5 |
62.5 |
—3.1 |
2 |
66.8 |
77.0 |
+15.3 |
|
3 |
57.3 |
57.5 |
+0.3 |
4 |
69.0 |
93.5 |
+35.5 |
|
5 |
64.6 |
67.5 |
+4.5 |
6 |
63.3 |
101.5 |
+60.3 |
|
7 |
69.6 |
83.5 |
+20.0 |
8 |
74.0 |
115.0 |
+55.4 |
|
9 |
65.8 |
69.5 |
+5.6 |
10 |
74.0 |
111.0 |
+50.0 |
|
11 |
53.6 |
57.0 |
+6.3 |
12 |
58.6 |
93.5 |
+59.5 |
|
13 |
69.0 |
64.0 |
—7.3 |
14 |
51.6 |
93.0 |
+80.2 |
|
15 |
53.0 |
55.5 |
+4.7 |
16 |
57.0 |
98.5 |
+72.8 |
|
17 |
77.0 |
84.0 |
+9.0 |
18 |
53.0 |
97.0 |
+83.0 |
|
20 |
57.5 |
68.0 |
+18.3 |
19 |
65.0 |
104.0 |
+60.0 |
|
Mean |
63.19 |
66.90 |
+5 83 |
... |
63.23 |
98.4 |
+57.2 |
|
S. E. |
±2.45 |
±3.20 |
±2.69 |
... |
±2.54 |
±3.35 |
±6.45 |
Differences : Pre-experimental, 0.04 ; experimental, 31.5±4.63 ; Percentage
change 51.4±6.99.
For the present purpose, however, these other products (9,10) will not be con-
sidered beyond their general inclusion in the greasy fleece.
(a) Fleece-weights. The sheep were clipped on December 15, 1932, and at the
end of the experimental period, on May, 25, 1933, the gross fleece-weights being
recorded. From December 6, 1932, until the start of group-feeding (December 22),
both groups were kept on the basal ration, hence the fleeces of Group I represent
161 days' growth with the animals on the basal ration. and those of Group II
represent 7 days on the basal ration and 154 days with the starch supplement.
Any difference in fleece-growth due to this relatively small discrepancy and also
to (a) the possible effects of portions of the fibres remaining within the follicles,
below skin or clipping level, and (b) any " carry over " growth influence, may be
regarded as negligible compared with the amounts grown over such an extended
period of experiment.
The pre-experimental fleeces include the changes of the natal coat and the
subsequent early stages of maturation ; moreover, the length of their growing
periods is not precisely known. They are therefore not strictly to be compared
with the experimental fleeces so far as fibre-characters are concerned, but the
procedure of expressing the differences as percentage changes serves to give
measures of the effects of the experimental feeding upon growth.