Disruptive technologies for improved reproductive management of sheep

Abstract

Previous research has reported that almost a third of all rams are ‘non-performers’ that have little to no sexual interest in ewes. This represents a significant cost to the Australian sheep industry through less lambs on the ground, extension of lambing windows, delays to first oestrus in ewe lambs and the inheritance of low libido in ram lambs. This thesis details the development, validation and application of a novel sensor to detect the libido of rams in real-time. It is the first of its kind with commercial potential in extensive sheep production systems. While further research is required to ascertain the cost-benefit of the technology and its suitability across regions and breeds, it demonstrates enormous potential to improve reproductive efficiency and to herald in commercially available on-sheep sensors.