Reproductive Biotechnologies in

Dairy and Beef Cattle

ALONSO A. LATUNA
MSA STUDENT
Stock Importation and Dairy Cattle Breeds

 13 dairy-type and dual-purpose cattle breeds

were imported by the Philippines (1900s)
• To upgrade native cattle
Bos taurus Bos indicus
Brown Swiss Gir
Guernsey Hariana
Holstein-Friesian Red Sindhi
Jersey Sahiwal
Tharparkar
Brown Swiss
Holstein-Friesian

Guernsey
Jersey

Gir
Hariana

Red Sindhi
Tharparkar
Stock Importation and Beef Cattle Breeds
 27 beef cattle breeds were imported by the
Philippines from Europe, America and Asia
(1900s)
• To upgrade native cattle
Angus Charolais Miane-Anjou Simmbrah
Beefalo Chianina Machigiana Sussex
Beefmaster Devon Nellore
Braford Galloway Red Poll
Brahman Gyr Santa Gertrudis
Brangus Hereford Shorthorn
Charbray Limousin Simmental
Angus

Beefalo
Beefmaster

Braford
Brahman

Brangus
Charbray

Charolais
Chianina

Galloway
Gyr

Hereford
Limousin

Miane-Anjou
Machigiana

Nellore
Red Poll

Santa Gertrudis
Shorthorn

Simmental
Simmbrah

Sussex
 Reproductive Biotechnologies in Cattle
Artificial Insemination (AI) and Estrus Synchronization
Artificial Insemination (AI) and Estrus Synchronization

 The progeny in dairy cattle relies heavily on AI

services to allow many bulls to be tested
simultaneously based on a large number of
daughters.

 An unbiased and accurate progeny test requires a

large number of daughters (30-50) spread over
several (5-15) herds, with comparisons against
contemporary progeny from other sires.
 AI in beef cattle has the potential to effect rapid
genetic improvement through extensive use of
semen from proven bulls.
 Result of keeping fewer sires - Savings in
maintenance costs
 Advantages:
- Increased maternal value as a result of a local
selection program, increased value of clean up
bulls and other breeding stocks;
- Increased live calf percentages realized
through the use of calving ease sires and
through group calving;
 - Increased weight of calves and age advantages
obtained through genetic superiority or
through crossbreeding/heterosis.
With estrus synchronization the AI program
is often designed to induce puberty and maximize
the number of heifers at initiation of breeding.
 ES and IA become profitable:
 More calves are born earlier

 Sold at higher prices

 In the Philippines the scope and field success rates
(52.5 %) of AI of cattle in terms of semen
production, number and distribution of AI services
and calves produced through AI are limited and not
sustained, very low and unimproved.

Failures of AI breeding program:

 High incidence of repeat breeding animals

 Low conception and pregnancy rates

 Poor progeny performance

This are attributed to poor breeding animals,

poor management and environmental
conditions.
 This can be enhanced further by rigidly screening
animals that would respond to prostaglandin
treatment, controlling stress, environmental and
management factors known to affect response
parameters and conception rate through:
 Vaginal mucus characteristics
 Cervical dilation as guides in determining estrus

 Time to breed cattle

 Breeding on observed estrus after the initial

injection of prostaglandin treatment
Multi Ovulation and Embryo Transfer
Multi Ovulation and Embryo Transfer
MOET allows higher rates of genetic response in
milk yield of up to 2 % of the mean per year
compared to 1.5 % per year with normal
reproduction.

The advantage is largely due to higher selection

intensities that can be applied to dams-of-bulls and
dams-of-cows pathways and to shorter generation
Intervals.
MOET in beef cattle can lead to substantially
increased genetic response rates in these traits.
Large nucleus herds, however, would be required
to limit inbreeding.

MOET allows higher rates of genetic response in

growth and efficiency traits of beef cattle of up to
2.6% of the mean per year compared to 1.4% per
year and 1% increased from .5 % for lean
percentage with normal reproduction.
In the Philippines MOET were more difficult to
achieve when procedures were performed in the
field. Improvements in MOET success parameters
such as average number of embryos collected
per flush and percentage of transferable embryos
could, however, lead to substantial reductions in
the costs of producing cattle embryos.
This specialization can be further exploited by
the use of twinning with specialized embryos,
which could be of major importance in dealing
with the lowrate of reproduction in the beef
cattle.
Open Nucleus Breeding Scheme
The technology requires the identification of
high-producing animals from different herds, and
pooling of these animals to form a nucleus
population to acts as the main source of stock for
the contributing herd. Recording procedures
would be required only in the nucleus herd.
Screening methods for foundation stocks and
replacements in the open nucleus breeding unit
are as follows:
 Foundation selection program
 Continuation selection program