Semen deposition by cervical, transcervical and intrauterine route for fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) in the ewe

Abstract Semen deposition through the cervix into the uterus is a difficult technique in ewes and represents the main limiting factor for insemination in this species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pregnancy rate achieved with a new transcervical insemination method in comparison with conventional cervical and laparoscopic intrauterine techniques. A total of 586 multiparous Corriedale ewes were synchronized for fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI) performed by cervical, transcervical, or intrauterine route at 46–50 h or 52–56 h after progesterone device removal in a 3 × 2 factorial design. Pregnancy rate was affected by the insemination technique and by the moment of FTAI (P  versus 35.1% for insemination beyond or within 4 cm into the cervix, respectively; P  versus 85.5 ± 7.5 and 56.8 ± 5.6 ewes inseminated per hour, respectively; P