Cloning Costs? Does anyone know how much?

[cotullaguy]

Wondering if any of you know the costs of cloning these bulls that are out there. 

 

[Steered]

Contact SEK Genetics in Galesburg,Kansas.  They sent out a flier this fall with the pricing for clones.  They have a couple different options...the more risk you assume the cheaper it was.  Call them and they will be able to answer your question.  www.sekgenetics.com

 

[simtal]

gonna set you back a minimum of 20-30K

 

[justintime]

I don't think the cost is that prohibitive. My concern is still my questions as to what you get from cloning. I have seen several clones and have yet to see any that appear as good as the original or that breed as good as the original from which they were cloned. Maybe I am wrong, but so far, that is what I have seen. Cloning will be just like ET in that, as the costs come down, more and more animals that should never be cloned, will be. This is great for the people in the cloning business, but  these same dollars could have been invested more directly into other producer's pockets.

I will say that there is an occasional animal that should be replicated, but not many. In my opinion, if any sire or dam has not produced a son or daughter who is producing better than they are, then they are not worthy of cloning. The older breeders used to talk about prepotent sires, that is, sires that produced some offspring that were better than they were themselves. We seldom hear about this any more. Are we not as breeders, supposed to be trying to make each generation of cattle we produce, better than the previous one? It is not an easy task, and it doesn't work with every planned mating, but I still maintain that too few are trying to do this.

 

[E-J]

I don't think the cost is that prohibitive. My concern is still my questions as to what you get from cloning. I have seen several clones and have yet to see any that appear as good as the original or that breed as good as the original from which they were cloned. Maybe I am wrong, but so far, that is what I have seen. Cloning will be just like ET in that, as the costs come down, more and more animals that should never be cloned, will be. This is great for the people in the cloning business, but  these same dollars could have been invested more directly into other producer's pockets.

I will say that there is an occasional animal that should be replicated, but not many. In my opinion, if any sire or dam has not produced a son or daughter who is producing better than they are, then they are not worthy of cloning. The older breeders used to talk about prepotent sires, that is, sires that produced some offspring that were better than they were themselves. We seldom hear about this any more. Are we not as breeders, supposed to be trying to make each generation of cattle we produce, better than the previous one? It is not an easy task, and it doesn't work with every planned mating, but I still maintain that too few are trying to do this.

I couldn't have said it better!!! There is a difference between breeders and poeple who multiply cattle and hope to get a good one.

 

[LazyGLowlines]

There is a difference between breeders and poeple who multiply cattle and hope to get a good one.
[/quote]

This is so true!  We've seen alot of this in the lowline breed where people are just trying to get calves on the ground rather than trying to produce quality.

 

[Jill]

The place I could see spending the money for cloning would be the dairy industry for cows that are the heavy milk producers.

 

[drl]

That last figure I heard 2 years ago was around 18,000 for a clone. I believe that was for Trans Ova and they give 500 off each additional clone after the first. Don't quote me on that.

 

[kfacres]

The place I could see spending the money for cloning would be the dairy industry for cows that are the heavy milk producers.

not at all... heavy milk production isn't necasaryly a good thing anymore...  With only $10 -100wt milk.. more producers are focusing towards what pays a premium.  ie..  Butterfat, and protein content.  You also have to remember that the more milk a cow makes, the more feed she intakes... the less you have on bottom line-- especially when feed is high and milk is low.  We run a commercial dairy- comprimised of 4-6 breed crossed up cattle- we are basically a 6 breed cross breeding system.  Years ago we were Holstein, but then due to an injury started using Brown Swiss bulls becuase we couldn' AI...  Then we started using Jersey bulls on our heifers, and since we have used Ayrshire, Guernsey, Milking Short, and the aobve mentioned over and over again.  We have also been AI'ing since the 4 year span that Grandpa hurt his back in.  My uncle and I, have taken this chore over.  The key is, as it is in any x'breeding situation- once you start, you can't stop.  Now, we've even started using some Swedish and Norweigian Reds via AI on the cows, and last spring purchased a Red Angus bull to use on heifers- since the Jersey's are so mean.  I guess you could say we use hybrid vigor, and heterosis to the max...  I bet we don't have but about 5 purebred cows left on the place-- if that many, and they were likely an accident!!

Anyways, what I'm geting at with my story that means absoulutely nothing is that we have cows that are a little bit bigger than the size of Jerseys, that milk a little bit less than Hosteins (80 lb/ day), but eat as much as the little Jerseys- but perhaps one of two major important facts is that those little (900-1000 lb)crossed up cows can spit out Holstein sized (100+) lb calves with little trouble.  I'd say the main reason, and the only way our operation stays afloat is becuase our small, low intake, high output cows give a 4.3 Butterfat... and that's where we get a premium. 

long story, no realivance -if you read it you have my sympathy..

Now on cloning... I think the most relevent place is cloning major show winning steers, such as Huston and Gold whatever his name was.  or a 2y.o .heifer that got killed cuz some d.a. bred her to a clubby bull first go around!!  and even in both of those senerios, I'd say that the parents of both animals are still alive, and with some concideration should produce another offspring of equal quality.  If they can't then likely that great offspring was just a freak, and wouldn't have bred true anyways. 

The biggest problem, if you call it that is cattle multipliers, instead of breeders.. 

But then again, when you draw the trangle of producers, you will have that... the upper 2% is elite breeders, the middle is seedstock -mass producers- 20% or so.. and the bottom end is commercial and multiplier producers who shoot for that one great one...  70%+

 

[cotullaguy]

gonna set you back a minimum of 20-30K

ok, so on the HOUSTON/SOLID GOLD bulls they have put in about $150,000 in cloning the bulls.  What can one expect from semen sales I wonder on those bulls.  No calves yet.  etc.

 

[OH Breeder]

There is a note in the new SEK catalog. Price is to expect between 15-20,000 on the first copy. Every subsquent copy is cheaper. 12-14000 for the second and so on.

My question is ....Are the cloned females better than the males? There are several cloned females out there and it seems they are producing equivalent offspring to their donors.