Breeding Program

Why Embryo Transfer?

The reproduction potential of each normal unborn calf is enormous. There are an estimated 150,000 potential “eggs or ova” in the female. By natural breeding, only a fraction of the reproductive potential of an outstanding individual female could be realized, as she will produce an average of 8 to 10 calves in her lifetime under normal management programmes. Artificial insemination (A.I.) allows a bull to sire hundreds, or even thousands of offspring in its lifetime. In a similar manner, Embryo transfer (E.T.) greatly increases the number of offspring that a genetically superior cow can produce.

The use of Embryo transfer, has meant that the majority of animals in our herd are crossbred dairy recipient cows. Our Devon cattle are a highly selected group of genetically superior donor females and sires. This approach has greatly improved the performance of our breeding program.

Denise and Denis have extensive experience in embryo transfer work as a result of their involvement in the previously successful Kippax Valley Limousin Stud. They carry out all the preparatory work on the donors and recipients, whilst the harvesting of the embryos and implantation is done by Stuart Knox, of Taree veterinary hospital.

After collection, he supervises the storage of the embryos up until the time of their implantation in recipient animals. For more information with regard to our embryo programme please contact Dennis McKinnon.

We have a number of frozen embryos and PTIC recipients to various sire/dam combinations available from our current program.