Note: this blog post was originally posted on lambtracker.com and has been moved here for preservation. Some information may be outdated.
We’ve just finished the major portion of this year’s USDA experiment on non-surgical AI in sheep. On December 3rd, we inseminated 24 ewes with either fresh-cooled or frozen semen. During the run-up to the insemination date, we used LambTracker® and a new module, EvaluateSheep2, to collect the date and time when each ewe had her sponge or CIDR inserted, the PMSG given, and the removal date of the sponge or CIDR.
During the PMSG shots, we discovered a bug in LambTracker® that allowed multiple records to save in the database before clearing the display. A quick programming change to disable the save once it’s pressed fixed that issue, and we’ve had no further problems.
During the inseminations, we collected some additional data, including the depth of insemination in centimeters and estrus characteristics (options were none, vulva engorged, mucus present, or nothing). There were no issues with LambTracker® during this time. We also took infrared pictures of each ewe at insemination for some additional research. I’m currently working to alter the design of the database to allow saving links to pictures in the sheep notes section.
On GitHub, we’ve merged several development branches to incorporate changes and bug fixes into the master codebase. I’m now working to integrate the EvaluateSheep2 changes that allowed for custom evaluations into the main LambTracker® code. I’m also continuing work on the LookUpSheep module to verify all tags in the flock.
The design of the Breeding module is complete, and I’m starting the actual coding part of the process. The design of the Lambing module is now in progress, too. The User Manual is also in progress, and I’m writing it as I program each module. It won’t be available until next summer at the earliest, when all modules are written.
I am programming each module as needed, so I expect the development cycle to take at least a full calendar year. However, I do have the advantage of being able to test each module extensively in the field. Using these modules with the sheep has already uncovered several user and database issues that would have been more effort to fix if they hadn’t come up early in the development cycle.
Overall, the development is moving along well, and we’re pleased with our progress so far.