Dr. Joe Mancino, reproductive services veterinarian at Vytelle, has been specializing in ovum pick-up (OPU) for six years. Throughout his career, Mancino has experienced a wide array of working conditions across the country that have shaped his perspective and enabled him to identify the four key components that lead to a successful OPU.
1. Donor nutrition and health
Working with a nutritionist to formulate balanced rations to meet the requirements of crude protein, energy, minerals and vitamins is key, as requirements change based on the donor’s age, stage of production and environmental conditions. A suitable nutrition program should be established and maintained 60 days prior to an OPU.
“If your donors aren't properly managed, it will hinder embryo development and performance,” Mancino says. “But it's not just about the donors. As producers, we expect our recipients to raise our best calves, and for them to do that, they need just as good of a nutrition plan as the donors. Nutrition is truly the foundation for a successful embryo program.”
2. Proper working facilities
An OPU collection requires a clean, temperature-regulated room for oocyte searching that’s within walking distance of the chute area. This avoids contamination of the oocytes and ensures their temperature remains as consistent as possible, which is vital for the embryo development process. The chute should be in an enclosed space to stay out of extreme weather and away from direct sunlight.
“A squeeze chute is imperative,” Mancino says. “Since we use a long needle during the OPU process, it's important to keep the donor as still as possible to ensure her safety and enable the technician to focus on recovering the oocytes.”
3. High-quality ultrasound
“You can’t see what you can’t see,” Mancino states. “Having an ultrasound with a clear image of the ovaries enables a technician to have a crisp visual of the follicles.” The quality of the ultrasound image is critical to the success of the OPU. A poor image of the follicles on the ovary will cause the oocyte recovery to be lower per donor.
“I have done side-by-side comparisons between ultrasound machines,” he continues. “We would use one brand of ultrasound to OPU the donor and recover all the follicles we could see, then switch ultrasounds on the same donor right after and would see more follicles on her ovaries. It was clear to me that the quality of the ultrasound and the image associated with it was vital for me to recover as many oocytes as possible.”
4. A skilled OPU technician
Learning to collect oocytes is difficult and requires much practice to become proficient. “OPU is not something you learn overnight,” Mancino states. “It is not comparable to pregnancy checking, breeding or embryo transfer. It is truly a unique skill that takes hundreds of practice cows to begin feeling comfortable. The technician performing the OPU has an enormous influence over the outcomes.” It is no secret that the bovine IVF and embryo transfer world is quite small, and the need for a niche skill set likely drives that.
Understanding and managing the impactful variables under your control as a dairy producer will drive success in your embryo program. For other factors outside of your control, leverage reproductive specialists who have spent years formulating management protocols and tools to get more consistent, positive results. In a specialized industry like this, people matter, and using the knowledge of skilled professionals will create favorable outcomes and maximize your return on investment.
