Prime_Time_spring_2019

In another effort to grow the genetic pool, in the early 2000s, 47 HeartBrand- owned Akaushi females from Australia were en route to the United States, but a simultaneous change in the federal administra- tion halted their import and, instead, left the cattle stranded in Guadalajara, Mexico. After more than a year of working with both governments, Shull was finally allowed to travel to Mexico to collect embryos from the cows, process and seal them in a sterile con- tainer and then transfer them to recipient cows in the United States. “My technician and I flew down to Guadalajara every six weeks for nearly two years to collect, freeze and qualify embryos to send back to the states,” he says. “It was a really neat project to be part of, and we were able to add significant num- bers to the herd while also diversifying the genetics.” As the herd grew, another challenge became main- taining a recipient pool of surrogate mothers large enough to accommodate the number of embryos that had been collected. “As soon as the first set of heifers from the original eight cows was old enough to cycle, we began collect- ing embryos,” Shull says. “Once that happened, we went from not enough cows to more donors than I had room for in the recipient supply.” Shull has relationships with about a half-dozen recipient suppliers in Texas and Oklahoma, and has

relied on their cow-calf management skills to keep females in proper condition and understand the syn- chronization protocols in an effort to exceed the industry standard embryo transfer pregnancy rates. “We’ve had a 62 percent pregnancy rate with this project, and I am pretty proud of that,” he says.

“There are a lot of links in the embryo transfer chain, and finding a quality set of recipient cows under good management is key to meet- ing production numbers like we achieved.” One of those recipient suppliers is Mark Bentke. Along with his wife, Sherri, son, Corey, and daughter, Continued page 24

BE DISTINGUISHED FROM THE OTHERS

Buckles, knives, rings, keychains and bolos for distinguished cattlemen www.Turquoise-Butterfly.com

23

www.akaushi.com • Spring 2019