Five scientists from the State University of Utah will visit the University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station on St. Croix next week to collect and transport sheep embryos.
Dr. Robert Godfrey, a UVI research professor of animal science, said the Utah scientists are interested in increasing Utah's St. Croix white-hair sheep and Barbados blackbelly-sheep flocks.
The state of Utah has had a 30-year association with UVI, which began when Utah scientists first transported St. Croix white-hair sheep there. This most recent trip is funded by Utah's State Veterinary Office.
The embryos, each consisting of fewer than 16 cells, will be harvested in test tubes and transported in portable incubators. Each incubator can hold up to 50 test tubes.
Both the St. Croix white-hair sheep and the Barbados blackbelly are prolific, breed year-round and are resistant to parasites, Godfrey said.
"The St. Croix white-hair sheep were actually developed here –– they are a local product. Because this is where the breed originated, people want to come here to get them."
The St. Croix white-hair sheep, Barbados blackbelly sheep and Senepol cattle are all affiliated with ongoing research at UVI's St. Croix Agricultural Experiment Station and all have "worldwide impact," Godfrey said. He explained that St. Croix white-hair sheep and Barbados blackbelly sheep are sought after because they do not produce wool, a byproduct that livestock farmers no longer find economical to harvest.
The Agricultural Experiment Station sells its USDA-inspected sheep to local supermarkets, local farmers and to individuals for food. Researchers from the station have conducted on-farm research on Senepol cattle that has included artificial insemination, semen collection and processing for export.
The collection of sheep embryos, a surgical procedure, will take place on Tuesday, June 13, and Wednesday, June 14, at the UVI Agricultural Experiment Station.
