This technology is rapidly developing and huge strides have been taken over the last five years. The process allows us to non-surgically collect embryos from a healthy mare at day six or seven following ovulation and transfer them fresh, or freeze them indefinitely in liquid nitrogen. This technique can be very useful in preserving the genetic value of a given mare, without her having to leave work. She needs only to be monitored and examined during her heat cycle and then bred near ovulation. Five to seven days later, the embryo recovery procedure would be performed. If recovered, the embryo would be processed and frozen or transferred fresh. This process is not merely limited to registered mares, but is very applicable to superior crossbred mares. It allows us to obtain offspring from a young, fertile mare that is still in work. It avoids the frustration of trying to breed an aged mare after retirement when she could have multiple problems. If the embryos are frozen, they can then be transferred to a recipient mare via a non-surgical process at a time that is convenient for the farm. This is particularly interesting and useful as it allows the embryos to be harvested at almost any time of year and preserved until transfer is desired (i.e. spring). These facts keep the cost and labor associated with embryo transfer to a minimum. The act of embryo freezing does slightly decrease conception rate, but recent advances still give conception rates of 55-80%. The convenience and safety of the non-surgical transfer allows for a much more "on-farm friendly" transfer process. It also allows us to transfer many more embryos to a given recipient mare over her lifetime than does a surgical transfer, thereby reducing the risk of severe abdominal adhesions which would greatly increase the risk of colic. If you need further information on this exciting process, please feel free to contact me. I am very happy to be able to provide this service to the equine community and think the potential value is extremely high. |
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