Leading the Herd - Innovations in Bovine Breeding

In this episode of Leading the Herd, host Rebecca Arnott takes a practical deep dive into the nuts and bolts of setting up your farm for OPU (ovum pick-up) and embryo transfer.

Forget genetics and drug protocols—this is your hands-on guide to infrastructure, equipment, and facilities that make a real difference to program success. From crush setup and shade solutions to power supply and lab space requirements, Rebecca covers everyth...

Sponsored by Nbryo – Powering Reproductive Progress

In this episode, host Rebecca Arnott dives into the often-overlooked heroes of embryo transfer — recipient cows. Learn why selecting and preparing the right recipients is just as critical as managing donors, and how breed, body condition, temperament, and timing can impact the success of your program.

From breed comparisons (Angus, Wagyu, Holstein, Brahman and more) to synchronisat...

🎙️Presented by Nbryo – Powering Reproductive Progress

In this episode of Leading the Herd, host Rebecca Arnott takes a deep dive into one of the most important pillars of a successful IVP (in vitro production) program: donor selection and management. Building on last week’s discussion around key on-farm success factors, this episode unpacks how to choose the right donor cows and heifers—not just based on EBVs, but through a strateg...

Bovine IVP (IVF) is a game-changer for genetic improvement,but success starts on the farm. In this episode of Leading the Herd, host Rebecca Arnott breaks down the six key on-farm factors for achieving the best results from an IVP program:

• Establish Clear Breeding Objectives – Align goals with your production system and ensure your expectations are realistic.

• Semen Selection – Choose high-quality genetics and store semen...

In this episode, we break down the key advantages anddisadvantages of In Vitro Production (IVP) vs. Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET) in cattle breeding.

IVP offers faster genetic improvement, greater flexibility, higher embryo production potential, and better semenefficiency, while MOET remains a reliable, cost-effective, and well-established method. But which one is right for you?

Join us as we explore the pros and con...

In this inaugural episode of Leading the Herd, host Rebecca Arnott explains the basics of the in vitro production of bovine embryos (more commonly known as IVF) and how this differs to convention embryo transfer or MOET.

She covers much of the common terminology you'll encounter including:

• OPU (ovum pick up)
• ova and oocytes
• oocytologist
• aspiration
• in vivo vs in vitro
• MOET (multiple ovulation embryo transfer)
• the difference between IVP...

Leading the Herd is a podcast all about innovations in bovine breeding - put simply. 

Brought to you by Nbryo, a global leader in the field of transformative reproductive technologies, this podcast is aimed at providing you with the latest information as well as practical tips, tools and insights to help accelerate genetic improvement and optimise results in your herd.

In Series 1 we provide you with an essential guide to bovine ...