Semen Mistake Claimed

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 3

Semen Mistake Claimed

(New Zealand Press Association)

HAMILTON, March 4. A full investigation is planned into a claim by three Bay of Plenty Ayrshire breeders that calves with Jersey characteristics were born to Ayrshire cows artificially inseminated with what was supposed to be Ayrshire semen. Dr. J. P. James, director of artificial breeding, said today

that the Newstead Artificial Breeding Centre had received a complaint from the Ayrshire Breeders’ Association. He had asked for full details so a proper investigtaion could be made. “With the safeguards we have, it is impossible to understand how a mistake could have occurred,” said Dr. James. “A mistake could have occurred after the semen left the centre, but we would like to make certain just what did happen before accepting any blame.”

Dr. James said the semen for the different breeds was coloured differently. On the occasion that the semen from the Ayrshire bull concerned was collected, no other bull had been processed on the

same day, so it was difficult to see how any mistake could have occurred at the centre. Where possible, the breeding centre had arranged blood tests from the calves concerned in the Bay of Plenty so their parentage could be established. Dr. James said the calves were born in either June, July or August of last year. It was puzzling why the complaint had been so late. Mr Burgess, secretary of the Bay of Plenty Ayrshire Breeders’ Club, said that as far as he could make out the calves were nearly full Jerseys. Someone had made a mistake somewhere and the breeders would like reassurance that it would not happen again.