If a group is to be superovulated, they need to be synchronized so that they are at the same stage of the estrous cycle.
Embryo transfer technicians often have their own preferred protocol, but an example of a superovulation protocol is depicted in Table 1. Combinations of hormones are administered over a matter of days. Superovulationĭonor females are superovulated, which allows them to ovulate more than one oocyte. This involves managing body condition and providing proper nutrients, including minerals, important to reproductive function. Good nutritional management of these females is critical for productivity as embryo donors.
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The ideal donor female has had regular estrous cycles beginning at a young age, routinely conceives with no more than two inseminations, maintains a 365-day or less calving interval, calves without difficulty, is free of reproductive abnormalities and disease, and has no conformational or known genetic defects. The reproductive potential of a donor female must also be acceptable. Mating decisions should be made considering the genetic worth and economic value of potential calves. Donor females should be of superior genetic worth and marketability to justify ET costs. Selection of each donor female is one of the most important decisions in ET. Embryos can be produced and sold to other producers who transfer them into their own recipient females. These two components do not necessarily have to be done by the same producer. While the results of superovulation and embryo transfer vary, producers can take steps to increase the probability of success.Įmbryo transfer requires two components: 1) generating and obtaining (flushing) the embryos from the donor female, and 2) transferring each embryo into a different female (recipient), which gestates and gives birth to that fetus.
As of 2008, approximately 1.6 percent of beef cattle operations in the United States used embryo transfer.
Today, embryos can be collected and transferred without surgery, allowing this reproductive management tool to become more common, especially in the seedstock segment of the beef industry. The first calf from a transferred embryo was born in the early 1950s using a surgical procedure. Females in the herd with less desirable genetics can serve as recipients for the embryos, and the overall genetic quality of the herd may be drastically improved in a short amount of time. When artificially inseminated with semen from bulls with high genetic merit, these top females produce calves with superior genetics. Embryo transfer (ET) allows a producer to quickly multiply the genetics of the top females in the herd. Most female breeding cattle produce one calf per year.
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