Reproductive Physiology
Scientists in the Reproductive Physiology Lab have evaluated the use of terminal sire mating with Dorset rams to improve the growth performance and carcass characteristics of hair sheep lambs and to determine the fitness of those crossbred lambs. Research is also being conducted on using agro-by-products as feed as a means of increasing daily gain in hair sheep and crossbred lambs being raised under rotational grazing systems.
The program has recently focused on developing a system for liquid semen storage and artificial insemination for hair sheep. Reproductive Physiology has extensive animal handling and housing facilities, an animal reproduction laboratory for semen collection and processing, and a mobile semen collection lab that enables scientists to work directly with producers on their farms to artificially inseminate their ewes.