Equine Embryo Transfer - Equivet Australia

EQUINE EMBRYO TRANSFER

Embryo Transfer Equivet Australia Laboratory

The following information is compiled by Equine Veterinarian Max C Wilson B.V.Sc.,M.A.C.V.Sc. All information regarding the fees deposits and booking your mare in to the Equine Breeding Centre should be directed to the office staff on 07 4691 0322. For updated information regarding costs and developments please contact the office staff.

Embryo transfer is becoming increasingly popular as a tool in equine reproduction The technique is now available at our Equine Breeding Centre at Southbrook.

ADVANTAGES OF EMBRYO TRANSFER ARE:

  1. Embryo Transfer allows young performance mares to produce foals from as young as two (2) years old while continuing to perform.
  2. Embryo Transfer allows production of foals from older sub-fertile or unsound mares or mares with a history of pregnancy loss (resorption or abortion). In reality these mares are not ideal donors, as embryo recovery can be as low as 20% per cycle.
  3. Embryo Transfer allows production of more than one foal per mare per year. It is feasible for mares to produce up to six (6) foals in a season although most breed societies have restricted registered off spring to one per mare per season.

THE EMBRYO TRANSFER PROCEDURE

The donor mare must be synchronised with a suitable recipient mare. The recipient should be a maiden or a highly fertile proven foal producer of less than ten (10) years of age. The recipient must be synchronised to almost ovulate at the same time as the donor. In practice this requires synchronisation of at least two (2) recipients to ensure that one will be suitable. The Equine Breeding Centre keeps some recipient mares (normally standardbreds) for this purpose.

The donor mare should be palpated to determine the optimum time of service and can then be serviced naturally or inseminated with chilled or frozen semen. Fertilisation should occur and the fertilised ovum will remain in the oviduct for six (6) days before descending into the uterus. It can then be flushed from the uterus (usually on day seven or eight) and either be: Transferred immediately into the recipient non-surgically (similar to A.I) Chilled and transported to another facility for transfer to a recipient; or Frozen and stored for future transfer. In practice, the latter two (2) options are not highly successful.

Unfortunately, at the time of printing, it is still impractical to superovulate mares. You can only calculate on getting one embryo per flush.

The embryo transfer recipient mare can be examined by ultrasound for pregnancy on day fourteen (six days after transfer).

Please note:
A separate fee schedule will be required detailing artificial insemination charges for chilled and frozen semen. Bookings must be made early for each season. A substantial deposit is required on arrival.

Agistment charges must also be paid on the recipient mare/s (Yours or the Equine Breeding Centres')

Medical preparations and treatments may be required for both Donor and Recipient.

For example: Prostaglandins CIDR's Ovuplant Antibiotic Infusions Oxytocin injections.

EMBRYO TRANSFER SUCCESS WILL BE LIKELY IF:

  • The donor and recipient are easily and quickly synchronised without use of expensive hormones.
  • The donor conceives on her first service.
  • The transfer is successful.
  • The recipient is in foal at six (6) days post transfer and can go home before final testing.
  • For practical reasons, embryo transfers are only done at the Equine Breeding Centre and the recipient should remain there until at least eighteen (18) days in foal.

EMBRYO TRANSFER RESULTS

If the donor mare is reasonably fertile; the semen from the stallion is strong; the donor and recipient are synchronised correctly and management is good you can expect a success rate of: -

75% of donor mares should conceive. Assuming conception occurs, you can expect embryo recovery to be successful in approximately 75% of cases. Assuming an embryo is recovered, transfer to the recipient should be successful in approximately 75% of cases. You should budget on a approximate success rate of 40% per cycle (75% of 75% of 75%) if everything goes to plan.

EMBRYO TRANSFER RECIPIENTS

The Equine Breeding Centre does have recipients available for your use or you can use your own recipients if they are suitable. If you choose our recipients, you will be charged agistment on that recipient from the time the donor mare arrives at the centre. Should a transfer be successful into one of our recipients, you will be charged a "usage fee" for the recipient. This entitles you to take her home and keep her until the foal is weaned. You are expected to return the mare once the foal is weaned in reasonable condition. Alternatively you may choose to purchase the recipient for a fee to be determined at the time.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Quotes are subject to change at any time and are purely estimations of expected cost. Account payments must be made in full, upon collection of your mare/s from the Equine Breeding Centre. Your bill will be finalised and ready for collection when you collect your mare/s.

For more information on our fees please contact our office.

Payment by Visa, MasterCard and Bankcard is also available over the telephone and in the office for your convenience. Personal cheques will only be accepted after prior arrangement with office staff. All owners are required to complete an admission form for each patient and sign a Veterinary Authorisation Clause before treatment will commence.

Bookings For Embryo Transfer will only be accepted between September and March of each year. No new breeding patients will be admitted to the Equine Breeding Centre after March of each year.