Services
Services of Bickett Genetics
BICKETT GENETICS
On Farm Embryo Transfer Service
Our business first began in 1988 as an on farm donor collection business. In 2000, a mobile lab was purchased to allow us to provide a more consistent working environment to process embryos. This is still the primary service to our clientele.
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BICKETT GENETICS
In Clinic Embryo Transfer Service
The construction of the current facility in 2002 allowed us to expand our business. We have been involved in the production of purebred cattle since 1987 and we know how to manage your valuable cattle. We take tremendous pride in our ability to handle your cows. We are small enough to be able to handle your cows as individuals. We keep our donors separated into small groups allowing us to better meet their nutritional needs. We have small lots and can better manage special need donors i.e. injuries, geriatrics, show calves alongside dams, etc. We can also coordinate professional photography services of your cattle including fitting and preparation.
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The donor facility was built with ten individual stalls to allow us to separate your valuable donors when they come in heat for a flush. We believe this is where most injuries occur and we try to limit the amount of “riding”. The barn is also equipped with fans and misters to better handle heat stress.
BICKETT GENETICS
IVF Services
Bickett Genetics is a satellite location for Trans Ova Genetics. We constructed a new facility for the aspirations to be performed at our clinic. We can coordinate fresh transfers in conjunction with our bi-weekly aspirations.
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BICKETT GENETICS
Embryo/Genetics Facilitator (En espanol)
We have maintained computerized records of all our collections and transfers since 2002. We can better manage your donor schedules and your transfer and embryo inventory.
BICKETT GENETICS
Reproductive Ultrasound
The addition of ultrasound services has allowed us to better service our ET clients as well as non-ET clients needing the advanced diagnostic abilities achieved through ultrasound technology. We provide pregnancy diagnosis, fetal sexing, and uterine and ovarian evaluation.
BICKETT GENETICS
Herd Health Management & Biosecurity
Herd health management is essential to the success of any embryo transfer venture. The years in mixed practice afforded Dr. Bickett the opportunity to acquire the knowledge to manage herd health issues. We prefer to be involved in the herd health management practices (vaccination, nutrition, deworming, etc.) as well as the issues concerning your bio-security.
BICKETT GENETICS
Synchronization & Timed AI Programs
With the recent advances made in controlling the estrous cycle in beef cattle, timed AI programs have become very useful. There are tremendous advantages in breeding the majority of your cow herd on the first day of breeding season. With pregnancy rates in the 50-60% range, the addition of pounds of calves weaned will more than offset the cost and the improved genetics you create are free! Timed AI projects are now very economical for your mature cows as well as your heifers.
If you are interested, please contact us for the possibilities for your herd. We can provide the full service operation or we can advise you on how best to incorporate this valuable management tool into your particular situation.
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Bickett's Blog
The statistics say that most collections will produce some non-fertile and degenerate embryos. If your donor has an unusually large percentage of these nonviable embryos, we make sure we address the issues that can cause this effect. The first variable to evaluate is semen quality. Obviously, high quality semen is essential to the success of ET. However, I do believe semen always gets the blame! Be sure your semen is evaluated preferably prior to using in a flush. Just like donor variability in fertility, there is much variation in the ability of bulls to produce viable embryos. If you have any doubts, especially on semen collected from young, highly conditioned show bulls, have your semen evaluated. Also be sure your semen handling techniques are sound. Consistently check your thermometer to assure accuracy. Many other factors affect embryo quality. Stress (hot weather, injury, temperament). Always try to minimize stress in your donors and recips. Finally, there is certainly an inherent genetic predisposition in some donors that make them poor candidates for ET programs. All cows do not produce viable embryos.
The key to the usefulness of this program is accurate heat detection in the recipients. This will not work if you are not able to accurately identify return heats on your recips. I schedule flush days every 35-40 days. This allows you time to check for heats in your recips that are used. Most of those heats will be 12-16 days after transfers (19-23 days from heat). The 35 day interval will allow you time to resynchronize those open recips for the next flush in addition to the recips that are not used or are new to the program. This protocol will greatly reduce the time your recips will stay open and give them more opportunities to get pregnant in an acceptable window of time. The greatest expense in any ET program is the recips. It is very important to maximize pregnancy rates in your pool of recip cows. This program allows you to produce a higher percentage of ET pregnancies in your herd. If heat detection in the recips that have embryos transferred into them is not an option, we can pregnancy check those cows and resynch the open cows on the next cycle. That will still allow you to reuse those recips in a shorter window of time but is obviously not as good as the first plan. What is the best way to synchronize your recips, you might ask. We currently use two primary protocols. When we utilize heat detection programs, we recommend the Select Synch + CIDR (GnRH + CIDR followed in 7 days by CIDR removal + Prostaglandin injection). Recips are then heat detected and time of standing heats are recorded. Only the recips with recorded heats are then checked on transfer day. We commonly use Fixed Time ET (FTET) Programs now eliminating the need for heat detection. The protocol we use is Co-Synch + CIDR. The protocol is the same as for heat detection except the recips are also given a dose of GnRH (Cystorelin, Factrel, Fertagyl) 48 hours after CIDR removal and Prostaglandin injection. All recips are then brought through the chute on transfer day. Typically, we will use approximately 80% of the recips synchronized.