Laparoscopic insemination of sheep in Republic of Serbia

Abstract

This paper describes a procedure of laparoscopic insemination (LAI) performed in 42 Ile de France ewes with deep-frozen rams' semen. Frozen semen doses was imported from France, originating from two rams (A and B), and used intermittently in three LAI cycles on different females. The ewes were examined ultrasonographically for pregnancy, two months following insemination and data of lambing were recorded at the end. Total achieved lambing rate was 61.90% (26/42) and total number of lambs was 49 (prolificacy 1.88; 1.16 lambs per sheep included in LAI protocol). Three labs from 2 ewes were stillborn and one dyed at 10th day after lambing. Lambing rates for rams A and B were 53.85% (14/26) and 75.00% (12/16), respectively. Introduction of laparoscopic insemination of sheep with imported deep-frozen semen of top quality rams, gaining technical experience and achieving conception rate over 65% could make this technique acceptable in improving genetic potential of top quality sheep flocks.

U radu je opisan postupak laparoskopskog osemenjavanja (LAO) primenjen kod 42 ovce rase Ile de France duboko zamrznutim semenom. Tokom tri ciklusa osemenjavanja naizmenično je korišćeno seme dva ovna (A i B), uvezeno iz Francuske. Nakon dva meseca od osemenjavanja ovce su pregledane na sjagnjenost ultrasonografskom metodom i analizirani su podaci o jagnjenju. Ostvarena je koncepcija od 61,90% (26/42) i dobijeno je ukupno 49 jaganjaca (indeks jagnjena 1,88 po ojagnjenoj ovci, odnosno, 1,16 jagnjeta po ovci uključenoj u protokol LAO). Tri jagnjeta od dve ovce bila su mrtvorođena i jedno jagnje je uginulo 10. dana nakon jagnjenja. Sjagnjenost od semena ovna A iznosila je 58,85% (14/26) a od ovna B 75,00% (12/16). Uvođenje laparoskopskog osemenjavanja ovaca, uvoz duboko-zamrznutog semena vrhunskih ovnova, sticanje iskustva i ostvarenje koncepcije od preko 65% može ovu tehniku učiniti prihvatljivom u popravljanju genetskog potencijala kvalitetnih stada ovaca.