{"id":6411,"date":"2021-05-08T09:48:28","date_gmt":"2021-05-08T07:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/?p=6411"},"modified":"2021-05-08T17:38:21","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T15:38:21","slug":"longitudinal-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waltin.se\/josefinwaltinspinner\/longitudinal-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Longitudinal study"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple of months ago I started playing with the idea of a longitudinal study of the fleece of one individual sheep through its lifetime. The idea grew on me and I contacted Claudia Dillmann, a shepherdess with a small flock of Swedish Gestrike sheep. This is the first post in a what I hope will be a long row of posts from different perspectives of the fleeces of one sheep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A width of perspectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A longitudinal study allows me to look at the changes in an individual sheep’s fleece during its lifetime, over the seasons, in different weather conditions and other environmental factors like pregnancy, food and choices a sheep farmer needs to make. It will give me an opportunity to look in depth at a fleece and how it develops during the sheep’s lifetime. It will also give me a deeper understanding of what factors influence the quality of the fleece and all the work a sheep farmer invests in their flock to keep it healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fleece subscription<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Claudia has a small flock of the Swedish conservation breed Gestrike sheep (yes, there will be a webinar eventually) at her farm about two hours from my house. She is also a board member of the Swedish sheep breeders’ association (Svenska F\u00e5ravelsf\u00f6rbundet<\/a>) and responsible for skin and fleece. She is very knowledgeable about fleece and Swedish sheep breeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n