Embryo Transfer In Beef Cattle

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  Embryo Transfer in Beef Cattle

     Embryo transfer in beef cattle is a non-surgical procedure that cattle owners can utilize in order to keep genetics clean in purebred herds.  The point of using embryo transfer is to improve the selection in purebred herds by multiplying the number of calves birthed by cows with a proven rate of success in breeding or who have the desired genetics for the new members of the herd.  In other cases, embryo transfer is used to meet the demand of the cattle market by allowing more calves to be birthed at a higher rate, allowing cattle owners to step up to the supply demands.

     In order to make the most of your experience, you must create criteria for selection based on the desired traits that you want the new calves to possess.  As owner, you should make your decision as to which cow will be the donor for the transfer process based upon the criteria that you decided upon.  In the event that a suitable cow is not present in your own herd, you can purchase a donor egg from another eligible cow through an accredited service, though this could potentially be a costly venture.  It is much more to your advantage financially to use your own cow whenever possible.  Once the donor is selected and her eggs are harvested, they must immediately be treated with the donor sperm and inseminated shortly after she goes into heat.  Generally, owners use the amount of money expended on the semen to determine the amount of times insemination is attempted.

     A week after insemination, the embryos are gently flushed from the cow, allowing them to be inspected under a microscope to determine which ones have resulted in fertilization and which ones failed.  The collected embryos are compared to see which ones have produced the best results, deciding which embryos will be used immediately to impregnate one or several cows.  Another option available to cattle owners is to use some of the fertilized embryos and freeze others for later use.  While freezing the embryos is still a very viable option, it is often much more advantageous for cattle owners to use the direct insemination process which not only eliminates the financial cost of freezing the embryos, but can also result in more viable pregnancies.  In order to keep the pregnancy rates as high as possible, thus maximizing your investment, it is highly advantageous to use cows that are somewhat reproductively similar to the egg donor.  Ensuring this will assist the cow in raising the odds that she will provide you with not only a viable pregnancy, but also with a healthy calf.  It is very important to keep the pregnant cow in good health and as stress-free as possible to help you make the most of your investment.

     Though this is a sometimes large financial investment, embryo transfer can by highly advantageous to a cattle owner wishing to make the most of their herd.  It is very important to make your selections carefully when choosing the donor cows and bulls so that you can capitalize on your investment. This article researched and written by a paid professional ghostwriter.