Regarding donor cows, who has experience in harvesting eggs

[OhioRiver]

I am taking as many notes as possible and would like it if some of you would chime in with your success or failure stories trying to start a seedstock opertion. Even if only 1 cow to start. What were your experiences with the embryo condition, price,...the embryo taking and or any birth defects or complications. I am attempting to make a business plan draft, but cannot until I have a clearer picture on things. I have a big enough hill to climb not having a known name or farm in the business and am trying...

 

[cfpinz]

I helped my grandmother harvest eggs all the time when I was little, but a fox killed all our chickens.

cfpinz

 

[OhioRiver]

maybe i would make more money raising those

I helped my grandmother harvest eggs all the time when I was little, but a fox killed all our chickens.

cfpinz

 

[Beef11]

If you want to build a solid purebred program ET is the fastest way there. It can be a bit spendy. Bring your big wallet to the table when you want to play that game. I've been around a cagillion embryos so i've seen the good and bad happen.

 

[OhioRiver]

I hear that some of the embryos do not take and are therefore wasted? How often is this true? Do the higher dollar embryos have no guarantee at all on them for take if handled by and embryologist? Does the surrogate cow have to be registered first as well? I just got off the phone with a guy here in Indiana that lost his cow to disease after paying $1000 for an embryo alone and got nothing. I see serious risks that must be factored into the mix on all sides of the ET game. I also see potential if you can market right too.

If you want to build a solid purebred program ET is the fastest way there. It can be a bit spendy. Bring your big wallet to the table when you want to play that game. I've been around a cagillion embryos so i've seen the good and bad happen.

 

[TheBullLady]

Depends on what you purchase.. an embryo or a pregnancy. In most registered sales, you can purchase either from well known donor cows, and most well known breeders will also offer embryos from their donors.

Any embryo pregnancy is like a "regular" pregnancy. The cow (recip) can get sick and die, the calf can be stillborn or aborted, etc. etc. There are no guarantees. It's a risk... but so is raising cattle. It's all about MARKETING. If you want to make money raising seedstock, you'd better have something other breeders want to buy.

 

[OhioRiver]

I have heard that it is not always the highest $B cattle that producers want? Is this so?

Depends on what you purchase.. an embryo or a pregnancy. In most registered sales, you can purchase either from well known donor cows, and most well known breeders will also offer embryos from their donors.

Any embryo pregnancy is like a "regular" pregnancy. The cow (recip) can get sick and die, the calf can be stillborn or aborted, etc. etc. There are no guarantees. It's a risk... but so is raising cattle. It's all about MARKETING. If you want to make money raising seedstock, you'd better have something other breeders want to buy.

 

[6M Ranch]

Embryos are a very expensive way to start a herd. Average success rate frozen, 50%. Fresh will increase the odds to about 60%. Lets use average Angus for an example. Three grade 1 embryos, seller guarantees one pregnancy. Cost $1500. Finding recip herd, average cost to buy back your calf at weaning, $900. Pay someone to implant, sometimes included if the same person has the recip herd, $100. Implant three embryos, worst case, get one pregnancy, $2700 to get one calf. Very possible worst case, calf is an average bull, who you steer and sell to the sale barn for $800. Been there, done that. Bigger name matings, price goes way up from there. Take your $2700 and buy a good heifer or cow, until you have the experience and money to gamble on embryos. I think embryos can be a part of an operation, but not 100%.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

It's all a gamble, you can buy that yearling heifer on a sale for say $5,000 to $10,000 or buy full sib embryos for probably $500. But then you have to implant, carry, and calve out and see what you get. We have had great success and great failure in the embryo game. Some embryos are "stickier" than others. Sometimes if if is a huge flush those eggs don't stick very well.

 

[OhioRiver]

interesting. how much does an embryologist charge to implant per se? I do understand the gamble on the embryo thing....more and more people are telling me similar success and failure scenarios they have had personally. I intend to start real small and real cautiously. If I fail, then I will fail and have the choice to try again and take note of what I have learned or stop there and quit. I would probably try again as one day I hope to have enough acreage to run about 100 hd around on. That is the seven year plan anyway.

It's all a gamble, you can buy that yearling heifer on a sale for say $5,000 to $10,000 or buy full sib embryos for probably $500. But then you have to implant, carry, and calve out and see what you get. We have had great success and great failure in the embryo game. Some embryos are "stickier" than others. Sometimes if if is a huge flush those eggs don't stick very well.

 

[iowahawkeyes]

Ours charges $65 to implant, he comes to the farm.

 

[Frankie]

I have heard that it is not always the highest $B cattle that producers want? Is this so?

People want balanced cattle. Cattle that are sound, fertile, and have good EPDs. There aren't any "magic" numbers, though some people will stress extremely high numbers if their cows have them. We don't buy cattle based on EPDs, but we sure won't buy cattle without good EPDs. What's a good EPD? That varies with your situation. For example, we like a more moderate milk EPD because our registered cattle run on native grass most of the year. A heavy milker (especially a heifer) might not be able to maintain her condition and breed back on time.

 

[OhioRiver]

did not know that about the milk thing. what is a moderate number to shoot for then considering that scenario played out on grass??

I have heard that it is not always the highest $B cattle that producers want? Is this so?

People want balanced cattle. Cattle that are sound, fertile, and have good EPDs. There aren't any "magic" numbers, though some people will stress extremely high numbers if their cows have them. We don't buy cattle based on EPDs, but we sure won't buy cattle without good EPDs. What's a good EPD? That varies with your situation. For example, we like a more moderate milk EPD because our registered cattle run on native grass most of the year. A heavy milker (especially a heifer) might not be able to maintain her condition and breed back on time.

 

[OhioRiver]

Do you know any prices for super donor cows that have sold eggs or where I could go to check possible price models or such?

Depends on what you purchase.. an embryo or a pregnancy. In most registered sales, you can purchase either from well known donor cows, and most well known breeders will also offer embryos from their donors.

Any embryo pregnancy is like a "regular" pregnancy. The cow (recip) can get sick and die, the calf can be stillborn or aborted, etc. etc. There are no guarantees. It's a risk... but so is raising cattle. It's all about MARKETING. If you want to make money raising seedstock, you'd better have something other breeders want to buy.