Transcript
Controlled Reproduction In Cattle And Buffaloes More than a decade has passed since the appearance of the edition of the book entitled Controlled Breeding in Farm Animals, on which this new four-volume series is based. Techniques which were at the experimental stage at that time are now being applied in commercial practice, such as the use of in vitro fertilization in the production of cattle embryos. The aim of this volume is to provide a detailed and up-to-date view of the literature dealing with the many different ways in which reproduction in cattle and buffaloes may be controlled and manipulated. The hope is that this book will prove to be of value and interest, not only to students of animal science and veterinary medicine but also to those concerned with the practical aspects of reproduction control, whether in research, in an advisory capacity or in applying the techniques directly on the farm. Although the book does not concern itself with reproductive disorders or infertility problems, certain of the material in the text should be of interest to veterinary practitioners. For those advanced undergraduates in animal science and veterinary medicine contemplating research in reproductive physiology, the work may provide some insight into the nature and scope of current reproductive technology and of the problems that await solution. It would be foolish to claim that any work such as this can be other than incomplete, in view of the vastness of the literature, but an attempt has been made to ensure that most statements of substance are backed by an appropriate reference. It should be emphasized that the text covers areas such as embryo transfer technology in which there is considerable research activity; for many readers, therefore, the chapters may serve as nothing more than a starting point in seeking information on their particular interests. A major objective of the work is to draw attention to that information which may be used directly to increase the worldwide efficiency of cattle and buffalo production systems. The present text has been distilled from research and teaching interests in the United Kingdom, the USA and Ireland spanning a period of more than 40 years. As a graduate in Agricultural Science from Nottingham University in the early 195Os, I had the opportunity of working as a graduate student under the late Sir John Hammond at the School of Agriculture and Animal Research Station in Cambridge. At that time, difficulties facing a researcher in reproductive physiology in Cambridge included lack of pasture and space to keep farm animals. For that reason, I was to spend much of the 1950s out of the laboratory working directly with farmers and their sheep and cattle in many of the counties of England and Wales. Later, in Ireland, ably supported by an enthusiastic band of graduate students, I continued to work happily with farmers in developing controlled reproduction techniques. In more recent times, I have been confined to the laboratory, mainly in an effort to see progress in the laboratory production of cattle and sheep embryos. Nevertheless, it is with farmers and the animals they tend that I feel most at home. It is hoped that this book will be of some value to all those who have the best interests of animal agriculture at heart.
