Ultra Sound and Embryo Transfers - is This a Barn or OB Ward?

History was made on our farm a few weeks ago. We performed our first embryo transplant. We are always trying to improve our operation, be more efficient and provide a good product.

Why embryo transplant? I can answer that while explaining how and what we did.

We studied the background or genealogy of our heifers. A heifer is a cow that hasn't had a calf yet.

We examined our records and with the help of the semen company that we use, analyzed the genetic makeup of the cows. Once we find the better heifers we then match up semen from a bull that will complement the heifers' makeup. The bull's genetics are matched up to try to compensate for faults in the female.

We then give hormone shots to "super" ovulate the heifer. When you do this you can have 0 - 40 eggs with average being 4 or 5.

The next step is to inseminate the heifer with the selected semen. Normally a cow is inseminated once per heat. With this, we inseminate two or three times.

We allow 6 -8 days for the embryo to grow.

Meanwhile, other heifers are selected to receive the embryos. These cows are in the same cycle as the super ovulated cows.

To harvest the embryo, we caught the heifer and secured her into a headlock. This holds her fairly still and keeps from hurting herself and us. A local anesthetic in her tail relaxed her rectum and the whole area that was handled.

Without getting too detailed, we flushed her with PBA solution. Basically, we washed out the embryos. A small amount of liquid is put in and then flushed out and into a collection jar. The jar strains the liquid. This was done about 5 times.

After flushing the heifer she received a shot of Prostaglandin F2a. This will abort any left-over embryos that may not have been flushed.

The collected fluid is then examined under a microscope. The embryos are pulled out with a 1/2 CC straw, washed and put into another solution.

The selected embryo was implanted into the chosen heifer. It is deposited way up into the horn of the uterus where it would naturally be at this time of development.

Within 2 or 3 weeks we would know if this was successful.

Fast forward a few weeks.

We performed the embryo transfer process a few times within the last few weeks.

We had a cow that was used to “grow” the embryos. They were flushed from her and she was given the shot of Prostaglandin F2a to abort any leftover embryos.

When it was time for her to come into heat again, she came up pregnant. Even though the shot was given, it wasn’t effective. Rarely does this happen. But, happened it did and we had a dilemma.

We didn’t know how many fertilized eggs the cow carried; we didn’t know if she was pregnant with one calf or five. Five could be a problem.

So, we had to call the vet and he came out with an ultrasound machine. When I heard he was coming I thought how cool, I can watch this cow in utero on the screen and get some cool pictures.

Well, not so much.

There is no screen – just some funky goggles to view what the probe “sees”.

A probe that is attached to the machine, which is worn around the vet’s waist, is inserted into the rectum of the cow. The vet wears the funky goggles and sees what the machine is picking up. The probe is maneuvered around inside the cow until the vet can see the calf – calves. If only took him a couple of minutes and he found the calf.

The cow had only one calf which is perfect.

When the cow is 55 days pregnant you can sex the calf. This cow was only 48 days pregnant so we couldn’t tell if it was a heifer or bull.

So we have accomplished an embryo transfer successfully and safely for all the cows involved.