Efficient breeding goals at Blighty

EARLY next year Blighty dairy farmer and stud breeder Andy Lostroh will welcome the arrival of calves which carry the exact genetic makeup of his best heifer.  

He’s been working with biomedical consultant Dr Andrew French, Melbourne, to reproduce the heifer using a breeding technique called nuclear transfer. The technique involves removing the DNA from an unfertilised egg and replacing it with DNA from a skin cell. 

Mr Lostroh, who runs Cloverton British Friesian stud with his wife Cathy, is trialling the technique as a way to cost effectively export their stud genetics. 

“We’re not always selling our best animals because we need to keep them in our breeding program. With this process we can send our best away in greater volumes,” Mr Lostroh said. 

“We’ve chosen to replicate one cow to see if it’s commercially viable and from there we’ll assess the success rate.” 

There have been 21 species produced by the nuclear transfer process including cattle, dogs and horses.