MOET breeding schemes for wool sheep 1. Design alternatives

Abstract

Breeding schemes for ivool sheep based on natural service (N), MOET (multiple ovulation and embryo transfer) in adults (A) and MOET in juveniles (J) are compared using Monte Carlo simulation allowing overlapping generations and selection across age groups. In all schemes parents can be a maximum of 6 years old when their offspring are born, and can be a minimum of 2 years in N or A schemes or 1 year in f schemes. Embryo transfer success rates follow realistic distributions (only 70% of flushes resulting in live lambs) with a mean of 2·13 or 345 6-month-old lambs per donor per flush for current or ‘future’ situations. Under natural mating an average of 1·09 6-month-old lambs per ewe mated is ..