Application of estrus synchronization and artificial insemination technology in Oula-Hu sheep breeding

To improve the prolificacy of sheep in the pastoral areas of Lintan county and resolve the issues in the sheep farming system, Hu sheep were used as the maternal lineage to cross with introduced Oula sheep as the paternal lineage for genetic improvement. To begin with, the sheep were tested for brucellosis using rose-bengal plates and polymerase chain reaction（PCR）. Then, Hu sheep was tested for individuals with GG genotypes through DNA sequencing to enhance the fecundity of hybrid sheep. Finally, estrus synchronization and artificial insemination were applied for the crossbreeding of sheep varieties to establish a production system suitable for enhancing the lamb production in Lintan county. The results suggested that the Oula-Hu sheep hybrid breeding system could take advantage of both the reproductive advantages of the maternal breed and the advantages in the meat quality and disease resistance of paternal breeds, resulting in a significant increase in the pregnancy rate of ewes（85%） and a shortening in their reproduction cycle, and effectively enhance the breeding efficiency of ram breeds and further reduce breeding costs.