SusSheep is a European Research Area Network Research Project which involves a number of different partners across a number of European countries including Ireland, UK, Norway and France. The overall aim of SusSheP is to increase the sustainability and profitability of European Sheep Production by addressing key industry focused problems. SusSheP aims to identify the most carbon and labour efficient Sheep Production Systems (SPSs) under different management systems (eg prolific vs non-prolific sheep breeds) in order to enable the development of strategies to reduce the labour input and carbon hoof print per kg of output. Sheep Ireland’s David Coen, also a pedigree Texel breeder, is one of many to explain in the below video different aspects that effect Artificial Insemination in sheep.
Dr Sean Fair of University College Limerick is another partner involved in the SusShep Project and exclaims the factors that effect the various levels of conception rates across different breeds of sheep. He explains that SusSheep is using a multidisciplinary approach to study the biology of the cervix is various breeds and their ability to get pregnant through cervical AI using frozen semen.

Watch this insightful video below to find out more about the SusShep project!