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Objective: The Study on follicle characteristics and thier relationship with pelt quality in Zandi sheep breed.
Design: Sampling and laboratory activities.
Animals: Fifty five ewes (2 , 3 .and 4 years old) ,15 rams (2 and 3 years old) and 30 lambs (1-3 days old) of Zandi sheep breed.
Procedure: Skin biopsy from the right flank of each sheep in one centimeter in diamiter and skin processing, blocking samples, cutting sections, sacpic stain, counting the follicles by graticule and microscope and visual evaluation of the pelts amb's.
Results: The primary follicles density in rams, ewes and lambs was estimated as 2.7(±0.5l),4(i:0.98), 12.5 (±2.2) per mm2 respectively. The Secondary follicles density in rams, ewes and lambs were esimated as 12.2 (±2.l4), 16.8 (13.24) and 28.5 (±3.9) per mm2 respectively. Secondary to Primary follicle ratios in rams,
ewes and lambs were 4.5 (±0.7), 3.6 (±0.43), 2.8 (±0.2l) respectively. There was a significant difference between follicle characteristics of 2 years old ewes and each of the other three and four years old ewes (P<0.05). The effect of sex on follicle characteristics differences was significant too (P<0.05). but correlation between follicle
characteristics and pelt quality was not significant (P>0.05). J. Fae. Vet. Med. Univ. Tehran. 59,4: 369-372, 2004.