Breeding better sheep

The October 2009 issue of Agriculture Research magazine features an article on how to breed better sheep.

The article is entitled "New Ultrasound and Artificial Insemination Techniques Improve Sheep Breeding." It discusses the use of ultrasound to predict carcass characteristics in lambs, as well as methods to improve semen handling and artificial insemination (AI) on sheep farms.

According to the article, scientists in Colorado and Wyoming have developed a rapid, economical alternative to existing surgical AI methods. The method is easy to learn and perform and significantly faster and less expensive than laparoscopic surgical insemination.

Agriculture Research is USDA's science magazine. It is published monthly by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). It is available electronically at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/.