@conference {3672,
	title = {Evaluation of production traits of red deer skins in the Deer Progeny Test.},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {75},
	year = {2015},
	month = {07/2015},
	pages = {114-118},
	address = {Dunedin},
	abstract = { Skins, hides and leather from deer are a valuable co-product of New Zealand venison production. Measurement of skin traits was
included in the Deer Progeny Test to evaluate options for genetic selection, and to determine if selection for other production traits
risks diminishing the quality of deer skins and leather. Skins of slaughtered eleven-month-old progeny (n=310) from terminal
(wapiti crossbred) and maternal (red) sire types were evaluated for 18 different quantitative and qualitative traits throughout
processing to pearl-crust leather. All processing was carried out by New Zealand Light Leathers. All traits were analysed using
least squares means models with sire as the random term and pre-slaughter live weight as a covariate. For all traits except evenness
grade of the pearl-crust leather, the relationship with pre-slaughter live weight covariate was significant (p<0.05) and positive. Sire
had a significant effect (p<0.01) on eight traits including critical strength and finished-leather attributes (p<0.01), farm was also
significant for eight traits (p<0.01). Average skin thickness was similar to published values. Sire can have an effect on important
traits, and selection for higher slaughter weights of yearling red deer is predicted overall to increase the quality of skins and leather
produced.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Ward JF and Mathias-Davis HC and Cooper SM and Crawford EM and Wheeler M and Asher GW}
}
@conference {41317,
	title = {The effects of sheep breed on the defects pinhole and raised rib},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {62},
	year = {2002},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {69-71},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {The effect of sheep breed and wool type on the incidence of the skin defects "pinhole" and "raised rib" was investigated. Six breeds/crosses were used - pure Romneys and Suffolk x Romney, Dorset x Romney, East Friesian x Romney, Texel x Romney and Merino x Romney crosses. Skins were recovered at slaughter and processed to dyed crust leather, then scored numerically for the severity and extent of pinhole and graded into the "Run" (best quality), "Pinhole", and "Thirds" grades. The presence or absence of raised rib on the skins was noted. Wool bulk and fibre diameter were measured. Skins from Romneys had the least pinhole and Merino crosses the most. Skins from Texel, Dorset and East Friesian crosses were also significantly more likely to be downgraded due to pinhole than those from Romneys. Within-breed differences in the level of pinhole were due to wool bulk differences, with a higher wool bulk correlated with more pinhole. Merino-cross skins were much more likely than the skins from pure-bred Romneys or the other crosses to have raised rib. Texel-Romney-cross skins were more likely than pure-bred Romney skins to have raised rib. There was no difference between the mean wool fibre diameter for ribby and non-ribby skins, but the ribby skins had a significantly higher wool bulk. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Cooper SM}
}
@conference {41035,
	title = {To shear or not to shear lambs?},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {58},
	year = {1998},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {224-227},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Poll Dorset x Romney cross lambs (n = 80) were allocated according to sex (ewe, ram) and liveweight to either shorn or unshorn treatments. Pelts were recovered at slaughter, processed to dyed crust leather and scored for visual traits. At the pickled pelt stage, shorn lambs exhibited lower grain strain scores in the main panel (2.4 vs 4.3, P = 0.01). Rib score (2.3 vs 1.9, P = 0.014) was greater for shorn lambs. The fat score of ewe skins was higher (2.6 vs 1.9, P<0.001) and they produced thicker leathers (0.85 vs 0.79 mm, P = 0.025) with more delamination (2.6 vs 2.2, P = 0.004). While shearing risks scarring the pelt, there are trade-offs with other faults in the pelts of shorn or unshorn lambs. The decision on whether to shear lambs or not should be based on the relative costs of the faults. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Scobie DR and Bray AR and Cooper SM}
}
@conference {40892,
	title = {Bulk and fibre diameter affect leather and woolskin quality of lamb skins},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {57},
	year = {1997},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {77-80},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Poll Dorset x Romney lambs were chosen from a group of 300 on the basis of measured diameter and bulk. The selected lambs made up four groups of twenty, that had the four possible combinations of low (LD) or high diameter (HD) (29 or 32 um), and low (LB) or high bulk (HB) (22 or 26 cm{\textthreesuperior}/g). Pelts were recovered at slaughter, assessed for woolskin tanning, processed to dyed crust leather and scored for the grain surface defect known as pinhole (1 to 5, best to worst). Suitability for woolskins was greatest for the high bulk groups (LDHB, 20; HDHB, 18), and least for the HDLB group (5), with the LDLB group intermediate (13). More pelts were found to exhibit pinhole in the high bulk groups (HDHB, 16; LDHB, 16 vs HDLB, 8; LDLB,10) and mean pinhole scores were higher (p <0.001) for these groups (HDHB, 2.5; LDHB, 2.4, vs LDLB, 1.7; HDLB, 1.5). Woolskins are a more appropriate product for finer and bulkier wool types, whereas less bulky wools of high diameter lend themselves to leather production, because they are unsuitable for woolskins and less prone to pinhole. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Scobie DR and Cooper SM and Passman A and Young SR}
}
