Embryo transfer/capture

tellmeabit

I've a neighbour who always produces some crackers of weanlings, and has a great bbx this year. She so build like a tank. Anyways. He was on to be asking about capturing eggs from her or the mother next year.

Anyone know the typical cost involved? Is it worth doing for a lad on a small scale, or is it just pedigree lads that do this?

I thought you flush the cow and could fertilize egg in lab or what ever and then transfer to a donor cow but from quick read there the cow is fertilized and then flushed....

Grueller

There are 2 ways to go. The first is embryo transfer. In this scenario the donor cow is insemination and the embryosare harvested already fertilised.

The other option is IV and the eggs are fertilised in a lab and implanted then.

The process for embryo transfer is to put the cow on a programme of follicle stimulating drugs to encourage greater embryo production. This is called superovulation. This produces multiple embryos.

Seven days later these are flushed from the donor. These are graded a,b or c. Grade A are fit for freezing or fresh transfer. B are fit for fresh transfer. C are also fit for fresh transfer but less likely to hold so 2 or even 3 may be implanted at a time.

It is a few years since I have been around the costs of it but iirc the eggs are €60 plus VAT for harvesting and freezing and then about €80 to implant fresh or from frozen at a later date. There is also a charge for the drugs etc for the programme of superovulation, but the cost of these escapes me.

I will be talking to a man that is big in it on Wednesday and will get my memory refreshed and report back.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058214607/embryo-transfer-capture

I think it comes to €800-€900, there’s lots of companies doing it and they can give you more accurate cost and let you know the procedure

tellmeabit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118068543#Comment_118068543

Cool thanks

tellmeabit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118068553#Comment_118068553

Thanks.

tellmeabit

If he was going to end up doing it, I'd be trying for one or 2 off him. Would up the quality of my own if produced a lady or 2. I know you could go off a buy a few of those saucy in calf heifers but I'd have the fear at calving with those. I've a fair idea now what my own few will calve

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118068776#Comment_118068776

Ideally it would be best to have some heifers synced to the donar cow and the implant would be done after the harvesting

You could offer to go in with him on it

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118068882#Comment_118068882

Have a share of it done over the years here and never found much differ in conception rates between frozen and fresh.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118069296#Comment_118069296

Not as familiar as you but is there some that can’t be froze but can be implanted on the day

I think you gave OP a good perspective

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118069609#Comment_118069609

That's correct hard Knocks. Only grade A eggs are really fit for freezing. Grade B eggs can, and do, get frozen but conception rates then drop. In my experience about 70 to 80% of embryos will be grade A.

You are of course correct, having recipients synchronised on the day of harvest is a good idea so grade B eggs, and especially grade C, are not wasted.