The seminar actually started at noon on Wednesday, November 19th with a sumptuous lamb
dinner. Then we listened to Dr. Olafsson as he went through the ancient attempts at AI (as early as 1322 A.D.) and the progression of AI in the 20th century. Some anatomy lessons followed, then
instruction on the process of spermatogenesis (the creation of sperm cells) and some causes of
temporary sterility in rams. Hormone function and factors affecting the start of the breeding season were discussed, as were factors which suppress oestrus in the ewes. Dr. Olafsson instructed
us in natural factors and practices which can be used to syncronize the ewes naturally without hormones, the timing of insemination, and the instruments for the injection of semen into the
After a short break, Gudmundur Johannesson
(Mundi) taught us how to evaluate our sheep, how
a score is assigned to each important body part, and what criteria are used to predict carcass weight. Mundi revealed that sires are evaluated on
a national scale, which is possible since most farms
keep excellent records, and the indexes for meat
and fat grading are compiled nationally.
On Thursday, the whole group of us travelled to
ultrasound machine, how to measure the length of the front leg's metacarpal (canon) bone, and
told that the two measurements are a predictor of the amount of meat there will be on the carcass. Those animals with lesser amounts of fat and more meat are those that would possibly be selected as breeders, helping to improve the breed overall, and give the consumer a better value for their money. At Stora Armott we were given hands-on experience on what excellence really "feels" like, as well as getting a start on learning how to set up the semen straws in the syringes.
Friday morning we were back at Stora Armott for
more instruction in the interpretation of the various grading indexes, sheep breeding and statistical
recording, I.D. numbering, and a sneak peek at the
new AI rams, (statistically in the classroom,) finishing our classroom experience with further practical training in the insemination of the ewes, and then went out "into the field" to see other farms.
Oddgeirsholar Farm was the first farm that we saw with heated barns, kept to about 60 degrees after the
fall shearing until the wool is long enough to allow the sheep to take the cold. The floors were made of expanded metal which allowed the fecal droppings to fall through the floor, to be cleaned out in the spring by being liquified, then sprayed on the fields. The high
by the friendly smile of Arnthrudur Saemundsdottir, or "Adda" to most of us. Adda traveled to the
Reinbeck Fair with the team from Iceland when Mundi came over to teach a seminar on sheep evaluation and be a judge for our first National show in which the Icelandic was the featured breed.
