Intravenous infusion of cysteine and wool growth of romney sheep

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

New Zealand Romney wethers were infused intravenously with 2 and 4 g per day of cysteine hydrochloride. Their wool growth rates were compared with those of saline‐infused controls. Cysteine infusion apparently counteracted the winter depression in wool growth. No difference in response between 2 and 4 g per day was detected. In a second experiment, New Zealand Romney wethers were fed two dietary protein levels and were infused with 2 g per day of cysteine hydrochloride. Their wool growth rates were compared with saline‐infused controls fed comparable levels of dietary protein. Significant increases (p <. 01) in wool growth rate from the cysteine‐infused sheep and a significant protein level × cysteine infusion interaction were observed. The sheep fed the high‐protein diet grew more wool than those fed the low‐protein diet.