Surrogates give birth to 3 calves

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 26

It is not just human beings among whom surrogacy is becoming a common practice. Scientists of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) here have been successful in getting three healthy calves from three crossbred cows (surrogate mothers) who got embryos from a Sahiwal cow. The recipient cows, the donor cow and the three calves are healthy and normal.

Giving details of the surrogacy technique, Dr PS Brar, Dean, College of Veterinary Sciences, GADVASU, said the crossbred cows were more prone to diseases, such as mastitis, metabolic disorders, lameness etc. Such cows are disowned by farmers. But here, eight embryos from one Sahiwal cow were put in these eight such crossbred cows.

“The success rate was 50 per cent as four of the abandoned cows became pregnant. Three of these delivered calves while one cow is still expecting. If reproductive system of such cows is normal, these crossbred cows can be used as surrogate mothers for production of Sahiwal calves through embryo transfer technology,” Dr Brar said.

Such technology would boost the objective of the Government of India which has launched the National Gokul Mission to conserve and propagate indigenous breeds which are better adapted to harsh climatic conditions of tropics, the Dean stated.

Dr B Bansal, Director, Livestock Farms, said there is a large gap between the requirement and availability of pedigreed Sahiwal bulls of high genetic merit for the semen banks at state and national levels. Therefore, systematic application of embryo transfer for breeding purpose could help in faster propagation of superior germplasm of Sahiwal breed. The elite male calves born were of immense importance as these could be used as breeding bull for faster dissemination of superior germplasm over wider population through artificial insemination.

As per census 2012, there are over 1 lakh cross bred cows abandoned by owners. Out of these, 80 per cent are from rural background while 20 per cent crossbred cows are from urban areas. These can be very well used for surrogacy, said Dr HK Verma, Director, Extension Education.