Effect of the rate of artificial insemination and paternity knowledge on the genetic gain for French meat sheep breeding programs

•Artificial insemination plays a key role in many meat sheep breeding programs.•Artificial inseminations are mainly achieved after hormone-based synchronization of ewe estrus.•The use of hormone for the control of ewe estrus is increasingly challenged.•Banning artificial insemination would reduce efficiency of sheep genetic improvement.•Artificial insemination limits the decrease in genetic progress caused by incomplete pedigrees.