Reduction In Wool Follicles Prior To Birth In Merino Sheep

This study investigated the development of wool follicles in Merino sheep fetuses, specifically focusing on secondary follicles. Skin samples were taken from fetal lambs at various stages before birth and from lambs after birth up to 13 weeks. The ratio of secondary to primary follicles (S/P) peaked 16 days before birth and was significantly lower at birth and all postnatal ages. The study concluded that secondary follicle initiation was completed several weeks before birth, with fewer secondary follicles present at birth compared to 134 days of gestation. This was the first conclusive evidence of this phenomenon.