Our Services

Animal Services

Donor Housing

  1. We believe the largest factor for successful embryo production is a combination of animal comfort and nutrition.
  2. All animals are housed in sawdust/shavings based bed pack pens in groups of 6-10 depending on size.
  3. All barns have curtains and variable speed fans that allow for temperature control that can keep donors up to 10-15 degrees cooler than outside temperature in the summer and 10-15 degrees warmer in winter.
  4. We have the capabilities to house dairy heifers, non lactating dairy cows, beef heifers, and beef cows with weaned calves. 
  5. We currently do not offer housing for cow-calf pairs.
  6. For inquiries about lactating dairy cattle, we work closely with SmithCrest and they have boarding available.

Conventional Flushing

  1. Conventional flushing consists of hormone treatments to super-stimulate the ovaries with subsequent super-ovulation. The donors are then bred by artificial insemination and a week later the embryos are collected non-surgically from the donor’s uterus. A microscope is used to locate the embryos, which are washed, graded for quality, and either transferred fresh into recipients or froze for later implantation.
  2. Donors need to be cycling and the procedure can be replicated approximately every 45 da

OPU

  1. Ovum pick up is the procedure of aspirating the follicular fluid out of follicles on a donor’s ovaries (can be from either stimulated or non stimulated ovaries) and subsequently searched for retrieval, handling and processing of oocytes. 
  2. Donors can be pre-pubertal or pregnant (usually up to approximately 120 days) to undergo the procedure and the procedure can be replicated every 2 weeks.

Embryo Transfer

  1. A procedure where we implant fresh or frozen embryos (either produced by in vitro fertilization or conventional flush) into recipients.
  2. The best way to achieve rapid genetic progress over artificial insemination and bull breeding.

Embryo Freezing

  1. The procedure in which we slow freeze embryos (both produced by in vitro fertilization or conventional flush) using the cryopreservation agent Ethylene Glycol.
  2. Allows for future thaw/transfer of embryos into recipients at a different time or for facilitating the shipment of genetics both domestically or internationally.

Miscellaneous

  1. Dominant Follicle Removal (DFR)
  2. Ultrasound/Fetal sexing