It’s fair to say embryo transfer (ET) isn’t a common practice for most U.S. beef herds. Current data indicate that less than 5% of cow-calf operations have adopted ET technology.

Founded by a team passionate about cattle breeding and genetics, Blueprint Genetics has become a leader in embryo production and donor cow management.

With dairy heifer replacement values at historic highs due to tight inventory, keeping high-producing dairy cows in a herd, especially those beyond their first lactation, is economically significant. Some dairies are turning to beef embryo transfer (ET) to keep productive cows in their herds longer.

Some producers may be leery of adopting practices such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization due to perceived high costs and risk factors. Here’s a look at some of the numbers.

Advanced reproductive technologies are exciting and effective, making it easy to jump right in when there are elite genetics that you want to replicate quickly. However, it’s important to pause and understand how to create success from start to finish.

Assisted reproductive techniques have revolutionized the field of animal breeding, as these techniques allow practitioners and scientists the ability to perpetuate the genetics of superior animals; cryopreserve genetic materials such as embryos, oocytes and sperm; allow shipping and transport of genetic material globally; enable selection and control of the sex ratio; and facilitate cloning and stem cell research.

Most dairy farmers labor under a strict routine they feel comfortable with. This comfort reaches well beyond daily milking parlor tasks and affects cattle breeding programs, likely touching on some variations of heat detection, estrus synchronization, artificial insemination (A.I.) and potentially in vitro fertilization (IVF), followed by embryo transfer (ET).