HOW TO GET STARTED
Flushing
Embryo transfer is a quick way to speed up genetic gain within a herd or rapidly expand a successful family, but it is a complex procedure and requires dedication as Mike Christie BVMS DBR MRCVS from Lambert, Leonard and May explains
he process is a skilled one requiring a vet or experienced ET technician and many breeders will be familiar with the technique and what it entails. However, there are still plenty of new breeders keen to try this technology and increase their rate of genetic gain in their herd.
T
Although much of the success ultimately relies on the donor cow, there are some things you can do to increase the chances of success, whether you are new to flushing or not.
Most cows will begin cycling again about 20-30 days after calving. Cows require a reference heat to start the superovulation programme. This can be as early as 50 days post calving. It is important to ensure that any donor cow is examined by ultrasound (before embarking on any embryo collection programme) to ensure that the uterus is clean, free of infection and that they are cycling normally with no cysts.
Ideally the donor cow should be re-scanned a week after the reference heat to ensure there is a corpus luteum and no cystic structures. This is not always possible, but it can help reduce the poor responses seen in some superovulation programmes. Some 20% of flushes fail to yield viable embryos.
Cows in poor body condition or having peri-partuirent disease, e.g. 56 THE JOURNAL AUGUST 2015
ABOVE LEFT & ABOVE RIGHT Embryo collection using the simple two way
method.
LDA, retained foetal membranes or ketosis will struggle to be flushed well early post-calving. Good dry cow management, an uneventful calving and good appetite post-calving will help the uterus involute to its normal size and aid the resumption of cyclic activity with healthy follicle populations, in the months ahead. High iodine/selenium boluses in the dry period can help with this. The availability of the new Kexxtone bolus from your vet can prove important in preventing ketosis post calving for at risk cows. If these cows are to be flushed then these boluses will likely have a beneficial effect on the follicle populations at 50 -150 days post calving when embryo collections are most
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