In Vitro Culture, Storage and Transfer of Goat Embryos

Abstract

Goat embryos, collected 5 and 7 days after mating, were cultured in vitro at 37°C for 2 days, or stored at 5°C for 1 or 2 days and then cultured for 2 days, or stored in liquid nitrogen (-196°C) for 2-4 weeks and then cultured for 1 day. After culture some of the embryos were transferred to recipient does. Culture and storage was carried out in Dulbecco phosphate buffer enriched with 25 % goat serum. 1M glycerol or 2M dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) was added to the media used for frozen storage. Thirteen of 15 embryos cultured without prior storage showed apparently normal development in culture. Ten of the 13 were transferred and five kids were born. Twenty of 38 embryos stored at 5°C developed in culture and six kids were born following the transfer of 17 embryos. Duration of storage at 5°C had no marked effect upon subsequent development. Six of 48 frozen stored embryos developed in culture. All six were transferred and three kids were born.