Abstract

In 1984 selected Oxford Down (O) and Texel (T) sheep in Denmark and T and Finnish Landrace (F) sheep in Finland were purchased or leased and then assembled for treatment. The ewes were synchronised and superovulated before being subjected to surgical embryo recovery. Recovered embryos with at least 8 cells and intact zona pellucida were then deep frozen. The mean ovulation rate, number of eggs recovered and embryos frozen from the O and T in Denmark were 5.4, 4.4, 1.5 and 7.1, 5.0 and 3.0, respectively. Results for T and F in Finland were 7.5, 4.9, 4.1 and 10.0, 7.0 and 5.8, respectively. A total of 548 embryos was imported into New Zealand. Two-hundred and twenty embryos were thawed and transferred to Coopworth recipients in March and 46 in May 1985. The percentages of embryos surviving to term for the various breeds in March and May were: Denmark 0, 43 and 20; Denmark T, 59 and 7; Finland T, 59 and 55; Finland F, 64 and 50, respectively. Thirty-two Coopworths were inseminated with thawed F sperm deposited via endoscopy and 24 (75%) lambed producing 28 lambs. The importation of both embryos and semen was very successful.

TG, Harvey, DL Johnson, RL Baker, BK Trust, and BC Thomson

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 46, , 229-232, 1986