Assisted reproductive technologies in cattle offer genetic improvement opportunities but raise welfare concerns about the procedures and impacts on donor and recipient animals.
Reproductive technologies impose welfare costs on donor and recipient animals. Superovulation treatment involves multiple hormone injections and can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome with discomfort. Embryo collection requires restraint and internal examination. High levels of superovulation can cause oocyte quality problems and reduced future fertility in donors. Recipient cows carrying transferred embryos are selected for hormonal compatibility but may experience higher rates of difficult calvings when carrying embryos from breeds with different birth weight genetics. IVF has higher rates of large offspring syndrome, causing welfare problems in both calves and recipient cows. Welfare-conscious application of reproductive technologies requires minimising the burden of procedures on individual animals while recognising the genetic and conservation benefits.