TRANSFER OF IMPORTED FROZEN CASHMERE GOAT EMBRYOS

Frozen cashmere goat embryos were imported from Scotland to the Czech Republic. Embryos were recovered surgically from superovulated (pFSH t reated) donors on day 6 of their cycle. Embryos were cultured in ovum culture medium (OCM) and then serially equilibrated in 0.5M, 1.0M and 1.5M ethylene glycol in OCM and aspirated into straws. Embryos were fr ozen by a routine method with seeding at -7-degrees-C and cooled at 0. 3-degrees-C/min to -37-degrees-C utilising a programmable freezer. Tha wing was effected in air for 7 seconds and in a water bath at 35-degre es-C for 25 seconds, cryoprotective agent was eluted in 0.75M ethylene glycol together with 0.5M sucrose in OCM (10 minutes) and in 0.5M suc rose in OCM (10 minutes). Embryos were then washed in pure OCM (in two steps), examined morphologically, and transferred in pairs by endosco py (Wolf, Germany) into synchronised recipients either ipsilaterally o r bilaterally (two groups in the reproductive season, one group out of season). Those recipients receiving embryos during the breeding seaso n had a pregnancy rate of 85.7%, this was significantly higher (P < 0. 05) than the pregnancy rate which resulted from the transfer of embryo s out of season (50%). It is concluded that cryopreservation of embryo s and their movement between countries is an effective method of estab lishing a novel breed within an importing country and is thereby a use ful method for establishment of a new genetic pool.