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DAT People's Choice Question of the Week: Still Use Embryo Transfer?
Embryo transfer has been used by numerous dairy cattle breeders for decades to increase genetic levels and heifers in their herd. With more dairies using A.I. beef sires to produce high value dairy X beef calves, the availability of sexed semen to increase the number of high value dairy heifers and the cost of embryo transfer considered.


Is embryo transfer still part of the reproduction program on your dairy?
Reader Comments
Comments posted do not express the viewpoint of Dairy Agenda Today or its staff members.
Southern Dairyman
March, 11 2025
We use ET some. Mostly with good genomic numbered animals, occasionally for a high type mating. We use about 85 percent of our heifers for recips, along with avg 1st lactation cows. Lack ofvrecips is always a bottleneck. We do market genetics, so our end goal isn't just a better herd, we do however end up with more good herd cows as a side benefit. Just trying to diversify and add a little income from some niche markets. Not something I would do just to get better milk production.
Family Dairy
March, 10 2025
We don't use ET anymore. We don't have big genomic numbers in our herd and the heifers from the cows that we did flush at one time, on average, were not worth much more than the heifers from our good cows sired from sexed semen. So we stopped using ET and increased the use of sexed semen. Over the years we have had excess heifers to sell and had enough replacements.
Commercial Dairyman
March, 10 2025
We have not used ET for years. Sexed semen allows us to get enough heifers from our best cows and the rest of the herd is bred to beef bulls. This has been our breeding program for years and has worked great.
Farmer Breeder
March, 10 2025
The first cow we ever did was just to try it. She made one good embryo, which became a 92 point cow. When we started getting A.I. contracts in the early genomic days, we did the cow with the most contracts to get bulls. In the last few years, we have done IVF work on 3 cows that were getting on in years to make more heifers from them.