Embryo Transfer

♦ Through AI, a superior ram can sire thousands of lambs annually, but an elite ewe may raise only one lamb per year.

♦ Using ET, it is possible for a donor ewe to produce a lifetime of lambs in a single ET flush

♦ A donor ewe can be flushed many times per year with embryos transferred fresh or frozen for later transfer.

♦ The long-term average embryo harvest is about eight embryos per donor programmed. Some ewes produce more embryos while others have very few. WESTBREED flushes every donor ewe programmed to obtain maximum benefit.

♦ Averages reflect the combined results achieved over thousands of donor ewes flushed by our team since the late 1980’s.

♦ Diverse outcomes are influenced by previous lambing history, fertility, age, breed, management, and seasonal conditions.

♦ Potential biosecurity issues can be avoided if the whole ET procedure including surgery and transfer is done on farm with donors and recipients prepared by the breeder.

♦ For small numbers, the donors can be managed in individual groups at WESTBREED and embryos transferred on farm

♦ Programming the donor ewe begins three weeks before the ET day. At day ten the ewes begin a series of daily injections to stimulate multiple ovulations around the time of insemination on day fourteen

♦ Although fresh semen for donor AI is preferrable, we commonly use frozen semen and have found similar fertility providing top quality semen is selected.

♦ About six days after AI, the donors are surgically flushed under general anaesthesia and the embryos transferred.

♦ WESTBREED uses only gaseous anaesthesia proven to be the safest method of anaesthesia which ensures a quick and full recovery. Animal welfare is our highest consideration.