Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ewes are often treated with hormones so that they all come into heat at the
same time. Artifi cial insemination is not for everyone. However, it is opening
new doors for some shepherds, and as the system evolves, it will benefi t more
producers.
CONSIDERATIONS AND
TECHNIQUES FOR AI
Artifi cial insemination has become extremely common in the cattle
industry — particularly the dairy industry, where almost all animals
are bred through the use of AI. The sheep industry has not been so
quick to take up AI, for a couple of reasons:
The use of vaginal insemination, the method normally used on
cows, is easy and fairly inexpensive, but when done on sheep,
it generally has poor results. The intrauterine method has a
high rate of fertilization, but it's expensive and must be done
by a veterinarian or other highly trained individual with special-
ized equipment.
The value of sheep on an individual basis has not been high
enough to merit the same level of interest that has come about
in the cattle industry. In other words, the highest-value rams in
the world might run to several thousand dollars, but top-value
dairy bulls run several hundred thousand dollars.
The Ram
The ram contributes to the genetics of all your lambs, so obtain the best ram
you can get. Ordinarily, the “best” ram is a well-grown 2-year-old that was
one of either twins or triplets. Being a member of a multiple birth in no way
affects the chances of twinning in the ewes he breeds — this is controlled
by the number of eggs the ewe drops to be fertilized, which is infl uenced
by genetics and encouraged by fl ushing. However, the ram's daughters will
inherit a genetic inclination toward having twins, especially if their mothers
had the same inclination. In other words, both a ewe's and the ram's twinning
capabilities will show up in the following generations. The ram also greatly
infl uences other traits, such as conformation and fl eece type.
 
 
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