Autumn Sheep Breeding Methods and Technical Points

Autumn is the golden season for ewes to come into heat and be bred. Breeding ewes of suitable age at the right time is the most effective measure for improving the conception rate and multiple-birth rate of ewes.

1. Selecting and retaining breeding sheep? Use ewes that have produced multiple lambs in one litter as breeding stock, so as to maintain the breed characteristic of multiple lambs per litter.

2. Flushing before breeding? One month before breeding, ewes of suitable age should receive short-term improved feeding, with 0.2-0.25 kg of concentrate supplement per ewe per day. Only when ewes of suitable age are in good body condition can they come into heat normally and release more eggs, thereby improving the conception rate and multiple-birth rate of ewes.

3. Making the most of autumn fattening? The suitable breeding period for sheep is also a good time to build up autumn body condition. Doing this well can significantly increase the number of eggs released by ewes, make rams more sexually active with more and better-quality semen, increase the conception rate and multiple-birth rate, and cause ewes to come into heat in a concentrated manner and release more eggs.

4. Breeding at the right time? Each estrus in sheep lasts 24-40 hours, and ovulation mostly occurs 30-34 hours after the start of estrus, so the right time for breeding should be 12-25 hours after the onset of estrus. Older ewes have a shorter estrus duration and should be bred earlier after coming into heat, while young ewes have a longer estrus duration and should be bred somewhat later.

5. Practicing repeat mating? Generally, one mating during an estrus period is enough for fertilization and pregnancy. However, to improve the conception rate and multiple-birth rate, ewes can be bred twice, in the middle and at the end of estrus, or bred once each by 2-3 breeding rams at different times within one estrus period. Huo Rui