Today was the start of another sheep AI experiment. We started our 2009 trials with the USDA-NAGP people. We collected semen from 14 adult Black Welsh Mountain rams.
Each ram had its picture taken in front of a size-marked tarp for future reference. While I managed to get pictures of the picture-taking process, I didn’t get any from the collection. It takes all of us to hold the ram, so there was no one to spare to take pictures.
Afterwards, we collected blood samples for B. ovis testing, plus any additional required samples for genetic testing and DNA sequencing. The semen was evaluated, processed, and frozen in liquid nitrogen in the temporary lab we set up inside our workshop. We’ll collect all of the rams again tomorrow.
