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Glossary of Terms

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Term Definition
Density
Compactness or density of fibre growth over the skin area.
Dermatitis (Dermo)
A fungal condition that produces wool that is matted or clumped together.
Synonyms - Dermo
Docking
Shortening of the tail of a lamb.
Draft
Dividing animals into separate groups.
Drenching
Animal remedies administered by mouth (i.e. orally) by the grower. Usually refers to worm remedies (syn. anthelmintics), but could also mean nutritional supplements or other medicines.
Droving
The driving of a mob/flock of sheep along a road or stock route.
Dry ewe
Ewe without a lamb at foot.
Dual purpose
Sheep suited to both wool and meat production.
Dump
The process of compressing two bales (double dump) or three bales (tri-pack) of greasy wool into the approximate size of one bale and restraining them with steel bands for shipping/transport.
Ear mark / tag

Distinguishing mark of an owner clipped out of a sheep?s ear; identification disc placed in the sheep's ear.

Synonyms - Ear Tag
Elasticity
Valuable property found in wool - being able to return to its original length after stretching or compression.
Evenness
Relates to the uniformity of the fleece principally in terms of quality number and length.
Ewe
A female sheep.
Exotic
Not occurring in Australia.
Exotic Breeds
The term applied to breeds of sheep introduced to Australia, including Awassi, Damara, Dorper and Karakul. They are characterised by a fleece that seasonally sheds dark and/or medullated fibres, and as such have been given a high AWEX Breed Risk Rating of 5. Contact between exotic breeds and the Merino sheep increases the risk of dark and/or medullated fibre contamination of Merino wool.
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