Selection and Rational Utilization Methods of Stud Rams

I. Pay attention to the selection and breeding of stud rams:

The selection of stud rams requires that body type and appearance meet breeding requirements, with a strong constitution, well-developed testicles and obvious male characteristics. Priority should especially be given to using stud rams with large body measurements and large testicles. The semen quality of stud rams must be checked regularly, so that rams not meeting the requirements can be discovered and culled in time; at the same time, attention should be paid to selecting and breeding rams from the offspring of highly fertile ewes.

The selection and breeding of stud rams is a long-term task that needs to be carried on persistently. Selection focuses on genetics, while breeding focuses on the environment. Only by combining the two can the genetic potential of stud rams be passed on. For this reason, in the selection process, strict selection and culling must be carried out at three stages: lamb birth, weaning and one year of age. During selection, attention should not only be paid to individual growth and development and related traits, but also a comprehensive consideration should be made based on the production performance and main traits of the parents. Breeding refers to meeting various nutritional needs under good environmental conditions so that the genetic potential of the offspring can be brought out. If environmental conditions are not available, or various nutrients cannot be satisfied, it is difficult to judge whether the performance or trait expression is due to congenital deficiency or environmental factors, which brings certain difficulties to selection and retention.

II. Rational feeding and utilization of stud rams:

The feeding of stud rams must be careful and thorough, so that they are neither too fat nor too thin, maintaining an above-average body condition all year round, robust, lively, energetic and with strong libido. The feed for stud rams must have high nutritional value, good palatability and be easy to digest. Suitable concentrates include oats, barley, peas, corn, sorghum, soybean meal, wheat bran, etc. Succulent feeds include carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, sugar beets and silage corn, etc. Roughages include alfalfa hay, green oat hay, clover, high-quality straw and various green hays, etc.; the feed for stud rams should be sourced locally as much as possible to avoid long-distance transportation, but every effort must be made to meet the variety of feed required.

From 1.0 to 1.5 months before the start of mating, for rams participating in mating, relevant technical personnel should be designated to check their semen quality, for two purposes: first, to understand the semen quality of the rams, so that if problems are found, measures can be taken early to ensure the smooth progress of mating work; the other purpose is to eliminate sperm that have long accumulated in the ram's reproductive organs and become aged, dead and disintegrated, and to promote the sexual function of the stud ram so that new sperm are produced. When semen collection begins, collect semen once a week, then twice a week, and afterwards once every two days. At mating time, collect semen 1 to 2 times a day; individual excellent adult rams can be collected as many as 3 to 4 times a day. For those collected multiple times, the interval between two collections should be 2 hours, so that they have time to rest. For rams with lower semen density, the amount of animal protein and carrots fed can be increased; for rams with poorer sperm motility, the amount of exercise needs to be increased. When grazing exercise is insufficient, the exercise amount can be increased as appropriate every morning at a fixed time, fixed distance and fixed speed. But note that mating or semen collection should not be carried out within half an hour before or after exercise and drinking water, so as not to affect the ram's health. Jia Chunlei