Artificial insemination sheep breeding has numerous valid benefits over natural mating, detailed as follows.
- The most important factor is the possibility of introducing specific genetics to a flock that would otherwise be impossible. Various countries do not allow or make provision for live sheep to be exported or imported. This placed a block on sought after genetics.
- You are not subjected to biosecurity risks when you bring a live ram into your flock either.
Artificial insemination breeding offers huge selective breeding potential. For example, you choose your best breeding ewes and introduce them to new genetics. Any ram lamb that is born from this process can be used for further breeding.
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- Also, can a sheep breeder work with other farmers to artificially breed a genetically superior ram for each other?
It would be possible to select specific traits that you would wish for a new herd too. You can combine progeny testing with artificial insemination which could result in improved consistency of new lambs that are marketed for meat.
The maintenance cost of breeding rams for ewes is eliminated. Farmers and breeders do not need to have a limited number of breeding rams as they can have the semen of several high-valued rams with superior genetics, one per each ewe.- Breeding efficiency is ensured since the breeder has the opportunity to examine semen regularly and keep an eye on fertility for early detection of inferior rams.
- Rams of an excellent breed can be used even when they are injured, heavy and old.
- Increased conception rates.
- It is valuable to inseminate ewes that refuse to accept rams at time of oestrum.
- Semen can be stored and kept after the death of the desired ram.
