fine-wool-sheep-breeding-pilot-project

Fine Wool Sheep Breeding Pilot Project

Donors:

HELP International, ADRA Hong Kong, ADRA Australia, ADRA Japan, Australian Embassy, ADRA International
Budget: US$ 213,300
Duration: 24 months (1 Jul 2022 to 30 June 2023)
Focus area: Darkhan and Selenge Provinces of Mongolia
Beneficiary Partners: National Livestock Gene Bank (NLGB), Research Institute of Animal Husbandry (RI-AH), Khangai and Orkhon Sheep National Nucleus Flock Herders

Goal

Enhanced sustainable livelihoods for sheepherders from the improved wool quality and quantity production

Sustainability

This project is envisaged to be an initial pilot project with the Mongolian government through the National Animal Gene Bank (NAGB) and beyond the pilot project by putting some of its limited budgets into the revival of the fine wool flock for Mongolia towards establishing skills and genetic resources that can enable an expansion of the fine wool flock and quality in the country.

Results

Measuring performance of lambs produced from artificial insemination (Al)
once they are born (April 2023)
Birth weight (April 2023), weaning weight (July 2023), post-weaning weight (Oct
2023), wool quality measures (Oct 2023), wool weight and quality (May 2024)
Inseminating an expanded number of ewes from the National Nucleus flocks
in Oct 2023 (several thousand)

Highlights

Selection, and semen collection under quarantine conditions from 6 rams
to produce 5000 doses of frozen Australian Merino and Dohne Merino ram
semen for export to Mongolia (July-Oct 2022)
Training of 6 Mongolian veterinarians in the skills of laparoscopic artificial
insemination (AI) using frozen semen (September 2022)
Inseminating 315 ewes from the Khangai and Orkhon National Nucleus flocks
during the training process (Nov 2022)