I started doing ET in cattle back in 1979. I bought one of the very first embryo freezers sold back in 1982. I was a licensed ET technician under the IETS [International Embryo Transfer Society]. We were very successful in ET in cattle. Maybe too successful. We were getting upwards of 70-80% pregs. with frozen embryos. The biggest advantage with cattle is the ability to breed, flush, and transfer embryos non-surgically. Cattle can also be flushed and transferred year-around, many times without surgical issues. I used to flush the same cow every other month, year around. In deer you have such a narrow window of breeding. Also the 2 times a day super-ovulation shots for several days will put a terrible stress on the donor does. Even if they were bottle fed, once you give her the first and second shot, see how friendly she will be? As far as implanting the embryos in recips., that should go pretty easy. Not much different than LAP breeding. I think it would be very hard on the donor does though, and they are the expensive ones. As far as doing ET in whitetails, whats the point? It can also work against you. If you get a super buck, he's worth X amount. If that buck has 10 -15 full brothers, what is he worth then? Look how far the deer have come in 10 years with just AI. I have seen it destroy prices in several smaller beef breeds. I have served as a director on one of associations. The most fertile embryos I ever got out of one cow was 41. A good average would run from 5-10 per flush. In 1992 I had the National Champion cow in that beef breed. I showed her the next year and I had 12 of her calves next to her in the show string. It was pretty interesting. I know ET in whitetails will work, but don't expect the same results we had in the cattle industry. In cattle it was very helpful moving genetics in and out of the USA. Disease issues weren't a problem with frozen embryos. It was the only way to get genetics in and out of some countries.
Gary Olson
