-How many embryos will my cow produce?
Every cow will respond to the follicular stimulation differently. The first time flushing will start at a moderate/low dose of FSH to determine a baseline stimulation. In some instances, this can be enough to collect 15+ embryos; others, might only produce 1-3 embryos. The industry average is 5-7 "good" embryos per collection. It is important to remember that this is just an average and actual results can vary anywhere from 0 to 30 good embryos per flush.

Stress plays an important role in determining how a cow will stimulate. We recommend to vaccinate, wean, change facilities, change ration, etc. at least 30 days prior to flushing. It is also important to mention, within any cow family, there is no genetic marker for embryo quality/flushing success; just because a cows' mother/full sibling was a good flusher, doesn't mean that your cow will produce the same results.

-What makes a good recipient cow?
When selecting cows to enter the recipient pool, they should be young, healthy, larger frame (for calving ease), adequate milking, docile individuals. In some breeds, using a registered cow will permit birth and weaning data to be utilized. Statistically, younger animals will have better reproductive function. The exception might be the 2-year old who is slow to cycle since she is trying to continue to grow while lactating.

If you have crazy, chronic, poor milking, repeat breeder cows, they should be culled-not moved to the recipient herd. Cows that have unpopular pedigrees or in some way will not produce a calf worth as much as the ET calf; would make excellent recipients.

-What pregnancy rate should I expect?
Fresh conventional embryos: The direct transfer of fresh conventional embryos result in the highest pregnancy rate. In most cases fresh embryos should have a 70%+ pregnancy rate. Results will vary greatly due to recipient health, sample size, etc.

Frozen conventional embryos: Frozen embryo transfers will vary depending on the person responsible for collecting/grading/freezing the embryos. In general frozen embryos perform 10-15% less than fresh embryos. 

Fresh/Frozen IVF embryos: Embryos frozen at IVF laboratories have a wide range of success. It isn't uncommon to get 30-75% pregnancy rate with frozen IVF embryos.

-How much does it cost?
Pricing includes all the required drugs and supplies for synchronization and collection/freezing/transfer of embryos. If a typical cow produces 5 good quality embryos and they are either frozen or transferred fresh the full cost would be approx. ~$800-900 + travel mileage. Please contact us so we can discuss exact pricing. Discounts are available for large volume transfers in a single visit.

FAQs