Twinning In Cattle

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efforts to produce semen as well as embryos with high
predicted breeding values available to producers. They have been recorded based
on twinning probabilities and ovulation rates. A large amount of work on
twinning has also been done by the Meat and Animal Research Center. Since the
early eighties, they have located cattle with a high frequency of twinning and
been forming a breeding foundation based on this characteristic. �We believe the
time has come to make some of these unique genetic resources available to the
beef industry through artificial insemination and embryo transfer� (Gregory 23).
An extensive amount of research has been done using embryo transfer in cattle.
In one study recipients were implanted with either a single embryo, two embryo
in one uterine horn, or one embryo in each uterine horn. It is also possible to
split embryos using a micro manipulator and implant each half to produce
identical twins. On the average about 16% of the cows implanted with two ...

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gain
depends on the environment as well as genetics (Cady 950-956). Single born
calves are reported to have birth weights of 25% more than a twin calf. Over
time, however, the twin calves approach the weight of the single calves. At
weaning the weight gap decreases to only about 15%. Despite this seemingly large
difference in weaning weights, it should be realized that there are two calves
to sell from a set of twins as compares to one from a single birth. In addition
to their size, twin calves consume less rations of fees than their counterparts.
From these conditions, promise for economical stimulus is easily seen,
especially in beef cattle (Cundiff 3133-3135).
Despite all of these draw ...

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