Embryo Transfer (ET) Breeding

Embryo Transfer allows you to flush high-value donor cows, grade the resulting embryos, store them, and later transfer them into recipient animals. Cattle360 tracks the complete ET workflow — from the flush event through storage and transfer — and automatically creates a breeding record on the recipient when a transfer is performed.

ET Workflow at a Glance

1. Record the flush — Capture the donor cow, sire, flush date, and technician details.
2. Grade and save embryos — Add individual embryo rows with IETS grade, development stage, and type (fresh, frozen, OPU/IVF).
3. Store embryos — Assign each embryo to a semen tank and location for inventory tracking.
4. Transfer to a recipient — Select a recipient animal and a transfer date; Cattle360 creates the breeding record automatically.

Step 1 — Record a Flush

1. Navigate to Reproduction > Embryo Management.
2. Click Flush Records in the top-right toggle.
3. Click Record Flush.
4. Fill in the flush details:
   • Flush Date (required) — The date the flush was performed.
   • Donor Cow (required) — Search by ear tag or name. The donor must already exist as an animal in your account.
   • Sire (required) — The bull whose semen was used. Search by ear tag or name.
   • Technician — Name of the person who performed the flush.
   • Hormone Protocol — The synchronization protocol used (e.g., CO-Synch, CIDR).
   • Embryos Collected — Total number of structures recovered.
   • Embryos Fertilized — Number confirmed fertilized after evaluation.
   • Notes — Any additional observations.

Step 2 — Grade the Embryos

After filling in the flush header, use the Embryo Grading section to add one row per viable embryo. Click Add Embryo for each embryo you want to record.

For each embryo row, fill in:

Click Save. Each embryo row is saved as an individual inventory record linked to the flush.

Step 3 — Assign Tank Storage (Optional)

After the flush is saved, you can edit individual embryos to assign them to a semen tank and specify a tank location (e.g., canister, goblet number). This enables accurate inventory tracking from the Embryo Inventory view.

Step 4 — Transfer an Embryo to a Recipient

1. Switch to the Embryo Inventory view.
2. Locate the embryo you want to transfer. The Status filter must be set to In Storage or All — only embryos with a status of In Storage can be transferred.
3. Click the transfer icon () on the embryo row.
4. In the Transfer dialog, fill in:
   • Recipient Animal (required) — Search by ear tag or name. This is the cow that will carry the embryo.
   • Transfer Date (required) — Date of the transfer procedure.
   • Technician — Name of the person who performed the transfer.
   • Notes — Any procedure notes.
5. Click Transfer.

What Happens After Transfer

• The embryo status changes to Transferred and it is removed from storage inventory.
• A breeding record is automatically created on the recipient animal with the breeding method set to Embryo Transfer (ET), the donor as the genetic dam, and the sire from the flush record.
• The recipient animal’s breeding status is updated to Exposed, and an expected due date is calculated from the transfer date.

Discarding an Embryo

If an embryo will not be used (e.g., it did not survive thawing, or it was damaged), click the discard icon () on the embryo row. The status changes to Discarded and it is removed from active inventory. Discarded embryos cannot be transferred.

IETS Grading Reference

Tips

• Record every embryo — even poor ones. Recording grade-4 embryos gives you an accurate total flush count for evaluating donor performance over time.
• Use the Flush Records view to track donor productivity. The In Storage count on each flush record shows how many transferable embryos remain from that event.
• Check the recipient’s breeding record after transfer. Navigate to the recipient animal’s record to confirm the breeding was created and verify the expected due date.
• Fresh vs. frozen. Fresh embryos should be transferred on the same day as the flush. Record frozen embryos immediately so they appear in storage inventory for future planning.