Embryo FAQ

IVF Embryo Production using a “Cow Friendly” Protocol

It has taken several years to find an IVF embryo production model that we are comfortable with employing. Part of our reservation stemmed from the potential harm that can be done to a donor cow using hormonal treatments to produce embryos. An additional concern has been the limiting factor of small amounts of rare Shorthorn bull semen. Both of these problems have been dealt with through our utilization of the latest IVF embryo technology. Absolutely no hormones are used in the production of Shorthorn Select Embryos and we are able to produce multiple embryos from very small semen samples.

Embryo Guarantee

All Shorthorn Select Embryos for sale are “Grade 1”, which incorporates a rigorous selection process to produce high quality frozen embryos.

Since we have no control over how embryos are managed or implanted once they leave our liquid nitrogen tanks we do not provide any guarantees beyond the initial quality of the embryos. Variables that can lead to poor results include: 1) embryo handling, 2) quality of the recipient cow, 3) health status of the recipient cow, 4) body score of the recipient cow, 5) improper synchronization of the recipient cow, 6) overall management of the recipient cow, 7) skill of the technician doing the implanting, 8) environmental conditions at the time of the implant.

SSE believes that using quality recipient cows, implanting embryos off of natural heats, and only using American Embryo Transfer Association qualified technicians to implant embryos will yield the best results.

Custom Embryos

If you are interested in purchasing embryos from a particular bull/cow combination we may be able to accommodate custom requests. This would involve requesting that semen from a particular Reference Bull listed on Shorthorn Select Semen be utilized to fertilize eggs from a specific Whispering Hills Farm donor cow. Contact us and we will be happy to discuss options and costs.