I completely understand what you are saying; however, I hope you can see how incredibly expensive the breeder side of this can be. TransOva's price for the recip is $2200, not $1200. I agree it is too much, but that is the cost and it is not negotiable. We bought the best donor we could find and that caliber of animal is not a cheap investment. I also have semen costs, the shipping expense to get that semen to my embryologist ($159), the flush costs, and board for both the donor and the recipient. Due to our travel costs, the animals are kept at the ET center until pregnancy is confirmed because a trip to the ET center is no small endeavor for us. The recip has taken an egg everytime, so although she isn't much to look at, she is a functional female that saves us money in the long run because she takes one the first time and there is no expense to cycle her again and use another valuable embryo not to mention board and all the other expenses involved. In this respect, she does her job well and I don't mind using her again next season to grow another ET calf.
The donor is scheduled for a flush to Monopoly on 1/22. We are setting up three recips to receive fresh transfers. If we were not doing this, the MAB would not even be for sale. The calf is due on my daughter's birthday and she will happily take the registered percentage Charolais calf to our State Charolais junior show next summer or the Charolais National show, whether it be steer or heifer. I have enough confidence in the donor that the calf will be that strong of a contender. I would like to see it in the hands of a junior who wants to take it to a major; and serious inquiries are welcome to view the donor at the ET center at the convenience of my embryologist. Thanks for everyone's input.
