Exotic calf takes the biscuit at Castletown farm
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A Castletown farmer had a very special delivery when a Romagnola bull calf – bred from a 44-year-old artificial insemination (AI) straw – made a happy landing.
"I have had some amazing insemination results over the years but last month's arrival of a pedigree Romagnola bull calf in the county takes the biscuit," said local AI cattle breeding service technician Willie Mackay.
Following a successful 100 per cent cattle insemination programme last year at Olrig Mains, farmer James Anderson was surprised to learn that the straws from the Italian horned breed had lain frozen in Mr Mackay's Dewar liquid nitrogen flask since 1976.
Mr Anderson has favoured using exotic breeds in the past on his cattle through AI such as Italian Chianina and Marchigiana, as well as French Maine-Anjou and Australian Murray Grey, along with a selection of traditional breeds. This year he is also expecting some Hereford calves and Murray Grey new arrivals from last year's AI programme.
Mr Mackay pointed out: "Back in the 1970s there was a flood of European cattle breeds into the UK, and the Italian horned Romagnola bull Scottish Dritto was bought by the former Scottish Milk Marketing Board's AI service based in Paisley.
"They then sent frozen bull semen from their stud throughout the whole of Scotland, including Caithness."
The AI technician explained: "When semen is collected from bulls standing at AI centres, now mainly in England, it is processed into thin straws and immersed into liquid nitrogen at a very cold temperature of -192 Celsius and stored in special vacuum flasks called Dewars.
"I knew I had some Romagnola straws in my tanks but didn't realise they were showing as having been processed in 1976, and obviously as fresh when thawed for insemination last year on Mr Anderson's Romagnola cow as they were when collected of the bull Scottish Dritto some 44 years ago."
