Embryo transfer/capture

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.

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

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.