Artificial Breeding Services

Sheep & Goat Embryos & Semen

Sheep and Goat Embryo and Semen collection. Embryo and semen transfer or freezing is done on farm to speed up your genetic improvement.

We use your recipient ewes/does on your farm for the embryo transfer to reduce the risk of disease.

Laparoscopic Artificial Insemination using fresh or frozen semen to enhance your genetic gain.

Dr Francois Marais

Internationally experienced veterinarian, is based in Dubbo NSW Australia

The Basics of Sheep & Goat
Embryos & Semen Transfer

Embryo and semen transfer in sheep and goats has become a powerful tool to improve and multiply superior genetics in both stud and commercial animals. It has also proven a very popular way of trading in genetics worldwide. By means of freezing or chilling methods embryos or semen can be transported or stored and implanted in other locations. The process involves selecting donor females and males of good genetics and sound fertility. These animals need to go into a positive management program to produce a good number of quality embryos. The ewes/does will be treated with a follicle stimulating hormone to induce multiple ovulations.

The ova will be fertilized by insemination with the semen of selected sires.

The fertilized embryos will be collected from the donor ewes/does surgically five or six days after insemination. The donor ewes can produce an average of eight to ten viable embryos.

The fertilized embryos can be transferred fresh into recipient ewes/does, can be chilled to implant the next day or get frozen for storage and later implantation.

Recipient ewes/does can be of any breed or crossbreds and need to be selected for a sound fertility history. Recipient ewes or does will be synchronized for the implantation.

Donor ewes/does can be collected every six to eight weeks to produce a large number of embryos. The increased number of lambs and kids will be a great selection tool.

Embryo movement also provides a humane alternative to the stressful methods of transporting live animals. Research has shown this method of moving genetic material can be very safe with regard to preventing the introduction of infectious diseases into clean populations.

About Ovatec

The Story of Ovatec

Dr Francois Marais and his wife Lynn, two boys Arthur and Franco live at Pinecrest near Dubbo, Australia since May 2005. Francois qualified at the Onderstepoort Veterinary School in Pretoria in 1986 and has been in veterinary private practice in rural South Africa.

Francois started his involvement in sheep artificial breeding in 1995 working with Australian teams in South Africa. He has been visiting Australia since 1997 working for the various breeding companies in WA and NSW doing AI and ET.

He has also been working with Edinburgh genetics in the UK, Premier Genetics in the USA to gain more international experience. More recently he has conducted large embryo projects in China and Inner Mongolia. Export programs to Paraguay and Mexico are on the cards.

Francois started his embryo export centre, Afribreed, in South Africa in 1999 and exported thousands of embryos world wide.

They decided they like Australia so much they moved the family to set up a new base in Dubbo NSW. His artificial breeding business in Australia is called Ovatec Sheep & goat embryos & semen is based in Dubbo NSW Australia.

New horizons for sheep and goat embryos include projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Contact OVATEC

Australia  |  China  |  South Africa  |  Armenia

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