The Vaynol calf was born near Edinburgh last month A NEWBORN female Vaynol calf, produced through the first ever successful embryo transfer for a semi-feral breed of cattle, has brought new hope in the work to save one of the rarest breeds of UK native livestock. The calf, called Snow, was born near Edinburgh on January 6, thanks to a cutting-edge conservation project delivered by Rare Breeds Survival Trust and animal breeding specialists AB Europe. Vaynol embryos using in vitro embryo production techniques were implanted in recipient Angus cows in a method that is mostly used commercially with beef and dairy cattle and has been used previously for conservation of rare Gloucester cattle. The calf’s birth has saved the genetic line of a rare Vaynol cow which had struggled to reproduce.
writes Emily Beament of the Press Association. The calf was born through the first successful embryo transfer for a semi-wild cattle breed. She is called Snow for her white colouring and the conditions at the time of her birth near Edinburgh on January 6. Vaynol cattle are descended from ancient herds of white cattle, which were brought over to Britain when it was still connected to Europe by land and were in the country before Stonehenge was built. The Vaynol breed was established at Vaynol Park near Bangor in 1872, and is one of just two native semi-feral or feral breeds in the UK, living in fenced areas but able to exhibit natural herd behaviour.
The birth of a female Vaynol calf through the first-ever successful embryo transfer for a semi-feral breed of cattle has brought new hope in the work to save one of the UK’s rarest native livestock breeds.
The calf, which is called Snow – was born close to Edinburgh on January 6, as the result of a conservation project delivered by Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) and animal breeding specialists AB Europe.
The calf’s birth is an important step in saving the genetic line of a rare Vaynol cow, which had struggled to reproduce.
Vaynol embryos were implanted in recipient Angus cows. However, it’s not the first time embryo transfer has been used for a rare breed.
New hope for one of rarest breeds of UK native livestock
3 February 2021 |
The Vaynol is one of only five cattle breeds given ‘critical’ status on the RBST Watchlist
The birth of a female Vaynol calf through embryo transfer has brought new hope in the work to save one of the rarest UK livestock breeds.
The calf, called Snow for her white colouring and the conditions at the time of her birth near Edinburgh on 6 January, was born thanks to a cutting-edge conservation project.
Vaynol embryos were implanted in recipient Angus cows in a method that is mostly used commercially with beef and dairy cattle and has been used previously for conservation of rare Gloucester cattle.