Hello I have a pet ouessant and I am in Northern Ireland. As there are none of this breed here I was thinkin of getting frozen sperm sent. Would anyone have any idea about that if it’s possible the costs etc?
@Mairead I'm sorry, this email appears to have been lost somewhere for three and a half months. Did you ever sort the problem with your Ouessant?
My only knowledge of that sort of trade between countries was when we exported a dozen ewes to Northern ireland from Scotland. It was complex and expensive and took several months to arrange, involving Animal Health here and your equivalent in NI, our vets and the recipients vets, all sorts of blood testing and health testing and customs at the border. Semen should be much easier because all the testing will already have been done before collecting the straws, but would still need to be done through official routes, once you have contacted a supplier.
I know very little about Ouessant sheep but I would think it unlikely that semen from the breed is available in Britain. That would mean buying semen directly from France - probably easier if you were in Eire.
As a matter of interest, where did you purchase your ewe if there are no others in the country?
I suggest your first step should be to contact your equivalent of Animal Health, having made sure you can identify a potential source of Ouessant semen.
