At Powered by Vytelle® Satellite, Holbrook Vet Centre (HVC), in vitro fertilisation technology is delivering rapid genetic advancement for their clientele of leading seedstock producers.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in the cattle game?
For Dr Shane Thomson, co-owner of Holbrook Vet Centre (HVC) alongside Dr Reon Holmes, it’s a mindset of honesty and integrity.
“To be accountable we need to be accountable to our systems, we need to be accountable to our objectives. So the best advice I’ve received would be to take full accountability for the process and to be fully transparent.”
It’s an ethos that has served as the foundation for a successful partnership between HVC and global precision livestock company Vytelle, with the centre becoming a Powered by Vytelle® Satellite in early 2024. HVC’s clients include leading seedstock operations spanning from Southern Queensland, across New South Wales and Victoria, and as far away as Eastern South Australia and Tasmania. In both the beef and dairy industries, Shane is committed to ensuring outcomes that future-proof breeding programs through Vytelle ADVANCE.
“What we’re doing in the breeding industry is trying to create genetic gain. It’s our clients that come to us with a genetic objective and it’s our responsibility to try and deliver as much genetic gain through breeding technologies as we can, to do so cost-effectively and repeatably.”
Holbrook Vet Centre serves as a conduit between producers and Vytelle’s embryo production services, functioning as a donor centre with its own recipient herd. The centre offers two distinct service options. Many clients choose to agist their donors with HVC, placing them under the centre’s management in preparation for the ovum pick up (OPU). This comprehensive approach covers everything from nutritional programs through to calving.
Alternatively, HVC accommodates clients who prefer to bring their donors on the day of the procedure. “This again, is testament to the convenience of Vytelle. It’s very accommodating in that sense,” Shane explains.
Beyond conventional breeding: Vytelle ADVANCE IVF’s winning applications at Holbrook Vet Centre
Breeding operations thrive on shortening the timeframe for genetic advancement. Reflecting on HVC’s experience with Vytelle, Shane says that the Vytelle ADVANCE technology has enabled more frequent and flexible collection schedules.
“The ability to collect those donors at as short as fortnightly intervals, and the ability to collect them closer to post-calving as well as through to early pregnancy has really created an opportunity to make embryos at times where we couldn’t do that with our clients in the past.”
Shane cites three key scenarios in which Vytelle ADVANCE has addressed common challenges for their clientele.
“One would be those maiden and even juvenile heifers, another is in the case of high value semen, and the other key one would be our genetically superior donors where we’re struggling to get them to respond to conventional MOET programs.”
In the interest of shortening generational turnover, collecting oocytes from heifers before they have produced their first calf enables clients to multiply their best genetics faster. Cost-effectiveness is another advantage, producing more calves from a single straw of premium semen.
It’s not only about maximising the numbers of offspring produced, but troubleshooting limitations faced with traditional MOET protocols, where Vytelle ADVANCE provides a crucial alternative for difficult donors.
“We’ve only got one super ovulation drug in our conventional MOET programs now, and so some donors, when they stop responding to that, it’s really advantageous to have an alternative to collect embryos, particularly if they’re superior animals.”
Setting up for success: HVC’s proven preparation strategies for donors and recipients
When it comes to preparing your donor and recipient cows, Shane is clear that forward planning is the key.
“It’s consistency. It’s consistency of their ration. It’s consistency of the breeding objective. It’s consistency leading into the program. We can’t just turn up and expect things to go well with no preparation.”
Although Vytelle’s ADVANCE hormone-free technology eliminates the need for complex injection schedules before an OPU, implementing a structured nutrition program and strategic donor selection will pay dividends in calves on the ground.
“We’ve got to remember that these oocytes are in development behind the scenes in the ovary for quite a number of weeks, and so we want to do what we can to try and create a consistent track into that pickup,” Shane explains.
Integrity meets innovation: Looking to the future with Vytelle ADVANCE™ IVF
As genetic advancement accelerates across Australia’s cattle industry, Holbrook Vet Centre’s integration of Vytelle ADVANCE IVF technology is keeping their clients at the forefront of breeding excellence. A commitment to consistency and accountability ensures that each embryo formed contributes meaningfully to producers’ unique breeding objectives.
When reflecting on what makes the Vytelle partnership such a strong fit for HVC, Shane identifies three key principles that define their approach.
“Professionalism, repeatability, and potential for improvement into the future.”
Holbrook Vet Centre holds monthly OPU dates at their donor centre, increasing to fortnightly in spring. Interested producers can get in touch via email ([email protected]) or phone (02 6036 2374) to chat to the team.