Resource information
A two-day advanced training session on semen cooling technique was conducted at the Doyogena
CBBP site in Ethiopia. The training specifically targeted researchers involved in implementing sheep
and goat CBBPs. In Ethiopia, ICARDA and its partners, under the previous CRP program, established
ten low-cost reproductive technology laboratories across different regions. These laboratories are
equipped with mobile equipment for semen collection, evaluation, and insemination for sheep and
goats. More information about these labs can be found at
Low-Cost, Mobile Reproductive Labs for Better Sheep and Goat Breeding | ICARDA. Artificial
insemination has been implemented as a means of disseminating improved genetics within the
CBBPs and surrounding sheep and goat flocks, known as production units. Artificial insemination
offers several advantages in advancing genetic progress, including increased selection intensity,
enhanced parental control, improved reproductive management, and prevention of spreading
reproductive diseases. So far, small ruminant artificial insemination in Ethiopia relied on collecting
fresh semen, processing it, and immediately inseminating the females; the whole process should be
carried out at relatively constant temperatures between 37 and 35 ËšC and the time separating
semen collection from deposition should not exceed 20-30 minutes. However, the introduction of
semen cooling down to around 15-17 ËšC brings about significant benefits. Cooling semen extends its
shelf life, provides increased access to superior genetics for farmers in distant locations from the
improved sires, offers flexibility in organizing inseminations by separating them spatially from semen
production, democratizes access to genetics for farmers in distant villages and results in cost savings.
This valuable technique contributes to further optimization of the breeding schemes, enhances
genetic selection, and improves the overall performance of flocks. Under the SAPLING initiative, four
specialized semen coolers have been made available and distributed to the Menz, Bonga, and
Doyogena CBBP sites. The semen cooling boxes allow for the preservation for 4 to 6 hours of semen
from the best rams in different CBBP villages, which can then be transported to distant locations for
insemination. This centralized approach streamlines the process and facilitates the dissemination of
superior genetics.
Overall, this training on semen cooling and the availability of specialized semen coolers through the
SAPLING initiative marks a significant advancement in sheep and goat breeding practices in Ethiopia,
enabling the utilization of improved genetics and enhancing the overall productivity of the flocks in
the CBBP nucleus and in the production units.
This report provides a summary of the two-day training session on the utilization of semen cooling
techniques. The training took place in the Doyogena CBBP village in Ethiopia and was attended by
researchers from various regions across the country.
