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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356906
Research Project: National Animal Germplasm Program

Location: Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research

Title: Non-surgical artificial insemination of sheep; successes, challenges and opportunities

Author
item Purdy, Phil
item Spiller, Scott
item Blackburn, Harvey

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/20/2018
Publication Date: 3/25/2019
Citation: Purdy, P.H., Spiller, S.F., Blackburn, H.D. 2019. Non-surgical artificial insemination of sheep; successes, challenges and opportunities. Meeting Proceedings, Proceedings of the 27th Technical Conference on Artificial Insemination and Reproduction by the National Association of Animal Breeders, p. 25-29.

Interpretive Summary: Laparoscopic artificial insemination (AI) with sheep is the most frequently used method of AI in the US because it produces satisfactory fertility rates. However, the procedures are laborious, expensive, and require a level of expertise that prohibits most sheep producers or practitioners from adapting laproscopic AI. Nonsurgical artificial insemination (NSAI) has been attempted by researchers for several decades with no satisfactory conclusion. This report provides insights into the results to date on sheep assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and NSAI and suggest a wide range of factors impede the routine and successful use of NSAI. We show certain combinations can result in acceptable levels of NSAI but these are not consistent across sheep breeds or years. To optimize ARTs with sheep will take further exploration into major sources of variation in order to develop consistent levels of fertility. Consequently, this manuscript will provide an overview of the current state of our research on the techniques used for NSAI with sheep and describe where opportunity for improvement with these ARTs exists.

Technical Abstract: The sheep industry lacks a reliable method of an inexpensive procedure to artificially inseminate ewes. Laparoscopic AI with sheep is the most frequently used method of AI in the US because it produces satisfactory fertility rates. However, the procedures are laborious, expensive, and require a high level of expertise. Nonsurgical artificial insemination (NSAI) has been attempted by researchers for several decades with no satisfactory conclusion. Based on this research with sheep assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) it was determined that there are a wide range of variables impact the success of NSAI when using synchronized estrous and cryopreserved ram sperm. Ewe breed appears to be an important source of variation, which in previous literature has not been taken into account. Age of ewe was also shown to be an important source of variation and suggest ewes younger than two years of age and over 6 years of age should not be used in a program using NSAI. The manuscript provides an overview of the current state of research on the techniques used for NSAI with sheep and describe where opportunity for improved ARTs exists.