Despite being widely used for long-term storage and dissemination of male genetic material in many species, semen cryopreservation and artificial insemination (AI) are not well-developed for camelids. The main reason for the delay in developing these technologies is the poor semen quality of camelids and the viscous nature of the seminal plasma, particularly in alpacas and llamas. An effective sperm cryopreservation and artificial insemination program would allow alpaca producers to cheaply and safely disseminate superior male genetics throughout the national herd and beyond.
This report is aimed at all alpaca industry members and researchers in camelid reproduction and production. Alpaca farms are spread across Australia, but concentrated in the eastern states. All alpaca producers will find this report relevant. It will be of particular interest to those already incorporating assisted reproductive technologies (such as embryo transfer) into their husbandry or those wanting to increase the genetic diversity of their herd.
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