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PCC’s research efforts on
TWINNING
True to its mandate as the lead agency for livestock biotechnology research and development in the Department of Agriculture network, the Philippine Carabao Center continuously embarks on challenging but rewarding road in harnessing the potentials of biotechnology in the genetic improvement of water buffaloes, such is the use of IVEP or in-vitro embryo production. In 2003, PCC biotech scientist Dr. Danilda Duran and her team determined the possibility of enhancing twinning in water buffaloes through non-surgical embryo transfer technique using embryos produced in the laboratory. The experiment resulted in 16.7 percent twinning rate. While this initiative is seen to create significant impact to produce animals of good genetic merit, the PCC team of animal biotechnology experts are still refining the PCC technique to determine critical factors influencing twinning.
Rare phenomenon
Twin calves born nine days apart By JOAHNA G. GOYAGOY
If twinning in buffaloes is a one-in-a-million chance, twin calves born several days apart from each other, according to animal scientists, could be one-in-a-trillion. The rare phenomenon happened at the Philippine Carabao Center at Central Luzon State University (PCC-CLSU) farm. Twin calves were born nine days apart from each other.
The first calf was born on July 25 at six in the morning, reported Dr. Apolinario Salazar, Jr., farm manager of PCC-CLSU.
On the night of the same day, the calf was separated from its mother and was given milk replacer for supplement. The mother, on the other hand, joined other lactating dams in the barn. Lactating and pregnant cows usually have separate barns. In the wee hours of August 3, around 3:30 a. m., the night shift caretaker, Dominador Gaspar, saw that one of the lactating dams gave birth. Dr. Salazar was informed right away.
“Pambihira! Ang galing! (It’s rare! That’s great!),” Dr. Cruz declared.
Dr. Salazar, who had been earlier engaged in PCC’s twinning project which employed the use of in vitro-producedvitrified embryos, said that this was the first time he saw this kind of occurrence among pregnant buffaloes. Dr. Atabay, an animal breeding and reproduction expert, added that the twinning might have been caused by the release of two distinct oocytes that were both fertilized at two different mating times.
The dam weighs 500 kg and the calves, both males, are approximately 30 kg each.
Dr. Atabay said that the dam was one of the 40 pregnant Brazilian murrah buffaloes that were brought to the farm from the quarantine site. This number was part of the 2,000 head imported When Dr. Salazar went to the farm to from Brazil last year that were infused confirm the delivery, he was surprised to in small dairy farms in selected areas in see that the buffalo that gave birth had Nueva Ecija. the tag number 091494, indicating it was the same animal that gave birth nine The twin calves were named after days ago. their respective birth months, July and August. The phenomenon, which was immediately reported to PCC-CLSU’s The PCC-CLSU team is now doing center director Dr. Edwin Atabay and further investigation as to the exact PCC executive director Dr. Libertado C. scientific basis of the phenomenon. Cruz, drew the same reaction as that of Dr. Salazar’s.
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