IMPACT AND RELEVANCE OF AN ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION PROGRAM IN THE PRODUCTIVE IMPROVEMENT OF FLOCKS OF SHEEP

Abstract

In order to increase the production of lambs in Hidalgo, México, an artificial insemination (AI) program was implemented in the year 2010 on more than 2000 sheep, where they interacted in a coordinate way at different levels of the production chain; institutions, field technicians, reproduction specialists, and financing institutions. In the program 97 Production Units (PU) participated with 2,267 sheep of the Hampshire, Dorset and Suffolk breeds, distributed in 16 municipalities of the state. The program results with the oestrus induction during non-reproductive season were 51%, 54% and 54% of pregnancy, and 99.2%, 97.8% and 96% of lambing with a prolificacy of 1.4%, 1.6% and 1.5% for the Hampshire, Dorset and
Suffolk breeds, respectively. The percentage of ewes that presented a return to estrus was inseminated by natural mating with studs from the PUs. The data at birth weight (BW) and daily weight gain (DWG) were compared. Increases of 13%, 16% and 12% of weight at weaning (WW) were observed, and 15%, 16% and 13% of DWG for Hampshire, Dorset and Suffolk, respectively; in lambs born from parents with reference
data compared to those from studs used in the PUs. The AI is a useful tool that allows increasing productive yields and propagating outstanding genetic material.