You can choose whether you end up with a heifer or a bull with this technology, but it has its drawbacks. I won't get into them here, but you can read about them in the article. Or here. We have been thinking about buying some gender select Fustead Emory Blitz-ET (Blitz has produced one million units to date) to breed Liz's cow, Junie. Liz has two daughters of Blitz from her show cow, Mandy, and they are quite nice. Junie is a pretty good cow ( we won't discuss her temperament, which is a whole 'nother story), but she has never had a heifer calf. She doesn't exactly fit the recommended parameters for using the stuff, having put her heifer days well behind her, but the boss has a phenomenal conception rate in AI. If anybody can get this thing done, he will. I am not sure just how I feel about volunteering to reproduce Junie, but.....
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- threecollie
- Embracing agricultural diversity, one species at a time. All rights reserved
But you aren't the one volunteering really, I am. And I think a good daughter out of her would be a bonus...Temperment aside naturally. After all I do have not one but two daughters out of Soir!
ReplyDeletePerhaps she won't pass her personality on?
ReplyDeleteI've been lurking here for ages and I finally found something in common.
ReplyDeleteI know 4 family who have used sperm spinning and IVF to choose the sex of their (human) children.
Three got the boys they wanted, one got a girl (their fifth girl).
So far all the babies are fine and all the parents are mortgaged well into the next century.
I do adore your blog.
Paints, Junie...let me see now, or should I say, let me count the kicks. lol
ReplyDeleteStacy, maybe not. The pundits that be in the industry say that temperament isn't very heritable. Personal experience tells me that it all too often is. Still Junie is a good milker.
Sue, thanks so much for "de-lurking" and leaving a comment. It is amazing technology, which I think will quickly get better as there is a huge demand for it.
And thanks for the kind words!