MC embryos go worldwide

When you log on to Madison County veterinarian Patrick Comyn’s Web site, English isn’t the only option. Those who speak German or Italian (and eventually, Spanish and French) can easily view an area of his business’ Web site in their native language.

Although most Madison County residents don’t need these alternate language choices, Comyn’s clients overseas welcome the options. Along with providing standard veterinarian services for dairy and beef cattle, the Shelby resident – who owns Virginia Herd Health Management Services – also ships cow embryos all over the world.

“They’re paying me thousands of dollars, the least I can do is work with them a little bit,” he said of his foreign clients.

Embryo transfer involves “flushing” embryos out of the uterus of one cow and then implanting them into the uterus of a different cow. The “flushed” embryos are typically frozen and stored in tanks of liquid nitrogen – which essentially preserves them “forever,” although they are often implanted into another cow shortly after, according to Comyn.

These embryos – collected from the top-performing animals in a breed – are used to produce similarly genetically superior offspring. Because of their value to farmers down the road – they are bred to produce more milk on average, as well as have a higher resistance to disease and other health issues – the embryos are worth thousands of dollars.

Comyn describes the embryo transfer process as helpful when “you have a really good cow and you want more offspring than what nature provides,” according to his Web site.

Naturally, cows can typically give birth to one calf every year to 15 months, according to the veterinarian. However, if embryos from one cow are collected and implanted into multiple different cows, that one donor can “produce” about eight to 12 offspring per year, he said.

Comyn’s South Main Street office in downtown Madison is decorated with photos of his prized Holstein dairy cows as well as embryos housed in tanks of liquid nitrogen, awaiting shipment all across the world. 

Cattle farmers first started using this freezing process with bull sperm because of the dangers of working with bulls directly, he said.

“These guys don’t crush you,” Comyn said pointing toward the liquid nitrogen tanks that keep embryos or sperm frozen.

After slapping a UPS label on special travel tanks, Comyn sends the goods as far away as Japan, China, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and Germany.
Cow embryos of U.S.- and Canadian-born cattle are highly requested overseas because these countries have the “best cow genetics in the world,” according to Comyn. 

Introducing these superior genetics into foreign cattle populations can help countries that are facing problems feeding their populations by boosting milk and beef production.

“Trade is one answer to…meeting the challenge of feeding people,” Comyn said.

The embryo transfer trade is also more cost-effective than trading the developed animals themselves.

“You can ship 1,000 animals in that tank,” Comyn said gesturing toward a travel tank less than two feet high.

In addition, the embryos develop inside of the countries’ own cattle, decreasing the chances of introducing foreign diseases into the animal population.
Even though the embryo transfer industry has been active since the 1970s, it is constantly changing with the development of genomic testing – which tracks cows’ genetic codes and sequences and how these genes are expressed as physical characteristics.

The genetics allows breeders to list the cows according to their offsprings’ likely characteristics, such as their height, resistance to disease and how much more milk they’re likely to produce compared to the average cow.

Since Comyn first started working in the embryo export industry, he said he’s become more aware of activities abroad and has seen first hand how they can affect his business.

“You wouldn’t think right here in Madison County we’d be affected by Hezbollah,” Comyn said, referring to the Lebanese terrorist organization. But the veterinarian was in the works of shipping embryos to Iran recently when the state department put a freeze on all contracts and the deal essentially disappeared, he said.

In addition, he has also seen some purchasers in Japan “sit on their money” and hold off making payments for their embryos capitalizing on the dropping value of the American dollar in order to get a more profitable exchange rate.

However, overall the Madison County veterinarian says he’s experienced much success in the embryo transfer industry, which some cattle farmers refer to as a “mortgage lifter,” according to Comyn.

“I’ve played with the numbers and a 10-15 percent return on an investment is not a difficult achievement,” he said of purchasing pricey “genetically superior” cattle and then selling their embryos.

Exporting goods in general can be an important economic boost for rural areas, which lack access to an abundance of business opportunities.
“The world wants our stuff and they’re willing to pay for it,” he said.

For information about Virginia Herd Health Management Services, visit its Web site at http://www.vhhms.com or call (540) 948-5238.