Page 16 - United Caprine News

Page 16 - United Caprine News - November 2010
A Pictorial Look at Embryo Transfer
Embryo transfer (transplant) is becoming increasingly common in dairy goats. It
has been used for several years in Boer
goats and some of that technology has
helped impove results in goats. As a means
of taking advantage of proven genetic lines
it can be a boost to many breeding programs.
The donor doe is given hormones so that
she produces several eggs that will potentially become viable embryos for transfer
into recipient does. The recipient does are
synchronized so that they are ready to receive the viable embryos from the donor.
Results can vary widely with the number of usable embryos ranging from none
to well over a dozen. So don’t go into the
process expecting a barn full of “ET” babies!
The donor pictured here is in the herd of
Kim Hull of Texas. The technician was
Earl Peacock who has done most of his
work with Boer goats and lives not too far
from Kim, near Fort Worth. The doe, GCH
Willow Run WRAW Jasmine 4*M was
bred artificially to *B Shining Moon XRated. Both animals have been successful
at ADGA National Shows. Jasmine was
the first place milking yearling at the 2006
National Show and placed third in her class
this year in Louisville. X-Rated sired the
first place intermediate kid who was also
reserve junior champion, as well as the first
place milking yearling and first place two
year old at the 2010 National Show and his
dam was reserve champion at the 2009
National. A total of five viable embryos
were flushed from Jasmine and implanted
into three donor does.
The donor doe is secured in a sling that can be adjusted vertically or horizontally
and prepped for the procedure. The surgical area is clipped and cleaned.
The “team”: Gay Bottoms, technician Earl Peacock, Ginger Morrow and Kim Hull.
An incision is made in the donor’s abdomen and the uterine horns are exposed so
that a catheter can be inserted to flush the embryos into a collection dish.