Caprigen - Caprigran

Caprigen

The Goat Biotechnology Center. Advancing in new reproductive techniques for genetic improvement.

At Caprigran we are committed to innovation and we take another step forward in the field of goat breeding by integrating the most advanced techniques.

Caprigen

The Goat Biotechnology Center

Caprigen is the reference center for goat reproduction in Spain. It has the latest technologies in reproduction, the highest level of health status and the best technical specialists in the field. It has more than 60 stallions of the Murciano Granadina breed, representing the most important center in the world of this breed and the first center for goats in Spain.

More than just high yield

The Andalusian Goat Breeding Center is located in Fuente Vaqueros,  within the province of Granada. Created in 1996, the center has more than 60 stallions of the Murciano-Granada Breed. It has facilities that allow us to comply with the best standards of animal welfare and with the highest sanitary guarantees. Our laboratory has the most advanced equipment for the extraction, quality control, packaging and storage of genetic material. All of this allows guaranteing the highest quality and health for our livestock partners and clients, as well as keepong our germplasm bank of the Murciano-Granadina Breed in the best posible conditions.

Embryo transfer technique

The Embryo Transfer technique consists of the stimulation of the ovaries through hormonal treatments of a female of high Genetic Value. In this way we get a greater number of eggs that are later fertilized either naturally or artificially. The embryos are allowed to mature in the oviduct and are subsequently transferred immediately to the recipients, or they can be kept frozen for a prolonged period (cryopreservation).

THE OVERALL PROCEDURE OF THE TECHNIQUE CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS

  1. Selection of the female with high Genetic Value and superovulation
  2. Selection of a Stallion of high Genetic Value and collection of seminal dose
  3. Embryo isolation and evaluation
  4. Embryo transfer
  5. Freezing and thawing

Quality Assessment

he process of producing both chilled and fresh seminal doses and embryos requires strict quality control. At Caprigen we monitor functional integrity and fertilization, which is the ability of the semen to fertilize eggs and generate offspring, thus guaranteeing the quality of the doses. Among the parameters analyzed are motility, viability, concentration or acrosome integrity.

Benefits of the reprodcutive techniques

Currently, as a tool for genetic improvement, embryo transplantation and insemination are very useful for three main reasons: it accelerates genetic progress, ensures biosecurity, and facilitates the sale of genetic material both nationally and internationally. Research has shown that this method is a safe procedure for the prevention of spreading infectious diseases within livestock. Furthermore, in epidemiological terms, it is accepted that the tarnsport of embryos is a safer procedure than that of live animals.

Commercialization of embryos

Thanks to the improvement of novel reproductive techniques, with the maximum guarantees and a magnificent genetic value, in Caprigen we carry out the sale of seminal doses and embryos of high Genetic Value (refrigerated and frozen) both nationally and internationally. Farmers from many countries are interested in the Murciano-Granada Breed due to its high milk production and quality and the ability to adapt to different environments. Recently exports of this genetic material have been made to countries such as Italy, Brazil, Russia or the USA.