Cannon bones : some dimensions, heritabilities and relationships to carcass quality in Romney wether lambs : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of M. Agr. Sc.
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Date
1957
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Publisher
Massey University
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Abstract
In the past and to a certain extent at the present
time sheep breeders have paid considerable attention to the
dimensions of the cannon bones of their animals in the
belief that this bone serves as a good indicator of the
quality of the conformation and constitution of their
animals. Scientific workers interested in meat and carcass
quality have also attached considerable importance to the
cannon bone as an index of carcass composition and hence
of carcass quality.
The origin of the sheep breeders beliefs is no doubt
due to years of farmer observation supported to some extent
by the findings of the scientific workers, who of necessity,
using relatively small numbers of animals, have established
relationships between the dimensions of the cannon bone and
other characters of' economic importance.
The existence at Massey Agricultural College of complete
records, concerning cannon bone dimensions and carcass
quality, collected from a relatively large number of animals,
prompted this present study which was intended to yield
more accurate results than those previously reported. At
the same time this study was designed to yield estimates of
the heritability of cannon bone dimensions and their relationship
to carcass quality thus providing a basis on which
breeders might decide whether or not they could continue to
place the present amount of emphasis on the cannon bone
in their selection practices .
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Keywords
Sheep, Anatomy, Romney marsh sheep