Kathy Bielek of Misty Oaks Farm, is being coached by Dr. Dale Duerr, DVM on the proper pipette position while she inseminates one of her Katahdin ewes.  This is one of 3 farms visited by our team in the past 3 months.  At each farm, 20 ewes have been artificially inseminated.  

Dr. Duerr, DVM and Dr. Zimmerly, DVM have taught us about performing breeding soundness exams (BSE) on rams, handling semen, prepping ewes, inseminating ewes using cervical AI techniques, and performing ultrasounds to determine pregnancy.   

This project team was formed when a small group of farmers realized there was a need to not only have a biosecure method for introducing new genetics to closed flocks but also to share their genetic gains across more flocks.  Although numerous research studies have been conducted on AI in sheep, the application of AI at the farmer level in the U.S. is limited.  We are hopeful that this can change.

www.BreedingBetterSheep.com