Conventional ET vs IVF with reverse sort

[drl]

Who on here has done some of both methods of et work? Do you think the extra cost and reduced conception rates is worth it to get the right sex most of the time on embryo calves? Any tips on how to have good success with ivf thats any different than normal flushing?

 

[jbzdad]

I think it depends on how many recips yoy have and if you can break even on the calves you are not looking for... if you are breeding for heifers but can break even with banding the bulls and selling them as steers (and you have ample recips) then it doesn't make sense to sort the embryos

If you are breeding for steers and don't have much market for MAB heifers then it probably makes more sense..

my embryologist in Salina is partnering with a guy to biopsy the embryos for genetic testing .. very early in the process... if the cost to biopsy is 50 bucks and the test is 50 bucks then that would be the way to go

he takes the biopsy from the outer cells which (so far) doesn't seem to affect the viability of the embryo

I am going to try this this summer

 

[sizzler14]

bump

 

[mark tenenbaum]

If the biopsy-sexing is done at Sun Valley I WISH I HAD KNOWN THAT-just flushed a cow there twice-and being a Shorthorn-do not have alot of use for bull calves O0

 

[Doc]

We have pretty good success with the IVF. Just depending on how many you get and how much the semen is determines cost. More expensive semen I will flush 2 cows with 1 straw. I've got as low $180/egg in some and as much as $400/egg in some. But all heifers. Some semen I have used is $30/straw and some is $1,400/straw.

 

[sizzler14]

hows your conception been? and about how many eggs are you getting with the ivf reverse sort

 

[Doc]

We are hitting right at that 50% or just under on the ones we have put. As far as numbers go, it is just like conventional. Every one is different. I have 1 cow we have been flushing every month for about 9 months now and we have gotten as low as 1 viable egg(put it in fresh and it stuck) to as many as 18 freezable eggs. I would say we are averaging on her probably 8 to 10 freezable eggs.

 

[Lewis_Family_Cattle]

We have had a lot of experience with IVF and with several different companies.  Usually IVF reverse sorted have been about 5-10% lower than conventional IVF. You almost have to put everything in fresh because the frozen rates are pretty bad.  35-45% is exceptional with IVF frozens(25-35% is more realistic), but there are a lot of rounds where you get 0-10%.  IVF definitely has its place but, unless your using crazy expensive/rare semen, need to reverse sort conventional semen, or have a poor flushing cow, conventional Flushing is the way to go for getting the most calves on the ground.