An Overview of the Past, Present and Future of Merinoization Activities in Sheep Breeds with Quality Wool Yield in Turkey and Previous Studies on the Wool Characteristics of the Turkish Merino (Karacabey Merino) Breed

Abstract

The most important factor determining the quality of fleece to be obtained from a sheep is genetic capacity. From this point of view, it can be said that our domestic sheep breeds are meat or dairy sheep breeds. It can be said that the breed with the highest potential to obtain quality fleece in Turkey is Karacabey merino (Turkish merino). The two most critical parameters that determine the quality of a fleece are fineness and length. In order for a fleece to be usable in the worsted weaving industry, its fineness must be 24.94 microns and below, and its length must be longer than 8 cm. However, studies have shown that the percentage of Karacabey merino sheep with wool with a fineness value of less than 24 microns is very low. For this reason, it is thought that sheep breeds with high quality wool yield can be developed in our country with multidisciplinary projects to be carried out especially by textile engineering, zootechnology department of agricultural engineering, and veterinary faculties. In this review article, information is given about the history of merinoization in Turkey, our native merino breeds and previous studies on the fleece characteristics of the Karacabey merino breed. © 2022,Tekstil ve Muhendis. All Rights Reserved.