Arguably, one of the biggest challenges facing a successful embryo program is the recipient cow herd. Sourcing sufficient numbers of quality recipient cows and effectively managing those recipients for maximal pregnancy rates can be a daunting and time-consuming task for even the best cattlemen. That’s why we are pleased to offer recipient options to meet the demands of your operation
Understanding the Recipient Program
Our recipient program is designed with the busy cattleman in mind. We source and maintain high-quality, multiparous recipient cows to transfer client embryos into. Once a client schedules a transfer date with us, we set up a suitable group of recipients for the transfer. Our team of reproduction experts handles all of the estrous synchronization, heat detection and transfer of the embryos at our facility. We can transfer conventionally-produced embryos, IVF embryos, fresh embryos and frozen-thawed embryos.
After the embryos have been transferred, the recipients are housed at our facility until the customer desires to take ownership of them. There are many options for purchasing the recipients from us and we can customize programs to fit the needs of our customers. Our most popular option is the 80-day bred recipient program. With this option, we do an initial pregnancy check at approximately 35 days and re-check the recipients at 70 days of pregnancy. This allows us to confirm that a viable pregnancy exists and determine fetal sex (if desired). This also allows the customer to remit payment and arrange transportation for the recipients by 80 days of gestation.
Advantages of the Recipient Program
Time-saver
Sourcing and managing a herd of recipients can be extremely time-consuming and labor intensive. Since we handle all of the legwork, taking advantage of our recipient program allows our customers to conserve their most valuable resource, their time.
Cow quality
We know that pregnancy rates in the recipient herd are greatly influenced by the quality and condition of the cows in the herd. That’s why we are committed to sourcing only high-quality, healthy, multiparous cows for our recipient program. Each cow undergoes a thorough reproductive soundness exam. The cows are then maintained in ideal condition for embryo transfer.
Cow care
Since the success of an embryo program depends largely upon the success of its supporting recipient program, we believe the recipient herd requires just as much attention as an elite string of donors. Our staff are trained experts in the field of bovine reproduction and management and are dedicated to providing the level of skill and care necessary to maximize the reproductive performance of our recipients.
Important Considerations for the Recipient Program
Cost
The cost of purchasing a recipient cow from us fluctuates with the cattle market and is partially dependent on how long the recipient remains at our facility post-transfer. Please contact us to obtain current availability and pricing. Please note that the embryo transfer and fetal sexing (if desired) are ancillary charges at our standard rates. To find out our current rates, please contact our office at 620.223.1726. The recipient cow or cows must be picked up within 10 days of the 80-day confirmation and paid in full before they can be released.
Pregnancy rate
Pregnancy rates in a recipient herd are affected by a number of factors including (but certainly not limited to) recipient age, breed, condition and postpartum status as well as embryo quality and technician skill. Our clients can rest assured that we use only the highest-quality, healthy, multiparous cows to stock our recipient herd. Our staff are highly trained and we have quality control measures in place to help us achieve the best possible results for our customers. Generally speaking, pregnancy rates of 60-80% can be expected when the transferred embryos were produced by our team.
We would love to talk to you about how our recipient program can enhance your embryo program. Call us today to discuss your options or to inquire about current pricing. We look forward to putting our unbeatable customer service to work for you!