FAST FACTS
Embryo flushing can significantly improve the impact of top cows on a stud.
It is a highly technical and expensive breeding technique.
Embryo flushing enables farmers to produce more offspring from their top cows.
Last year, the Stofbergs, who own the Platfdrif Sussex Stud and farm near Rawsonville in the Boland, became some of the first Sussex cattle breeders in South Africa to use embryo flushing. Owner Nollie Stofberg says the family took this step in memory of his second-eldest son, David, who died in 2018 at the age of 24 following a car accident.
“Back in 1981, David’s maternal grandfather and namesake was one of the first Angus breeders in South Africa to use embryo flushing to accelerate genetic gains in his stud. As a family, we always wanted to try embryo flushing on [Platdrif], and David, with his master’s degree in animal production, was especially passionate about it,” says Nollie. His eldest son, Pieter, explains that embryo flushing is a breeding technique that entails collecting embryos from donor cows and implanting them in surrogate cows, which then carry the embryos to term.
As with any type of breeding, donor and surrogate cows have to be in good condition to ensure a positive outcome.
HOW EMBRYO FLUSHING WORKS
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 17, 2021-Ausgabe von Farmer's Weekly.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 17, 2021-Ausgabe von Farmer's Weekly.
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