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286. Semen sorting to pre-determine sex has been successfully used experimentally but the technique is not yet commercially available. However, it may be that this procedure will be perfected in the near future. It might then be used in the dairy herd to produce pure dairy heifers for replacement stock and dairy-cross beef male calves for further fattening. The uptake of new techniques, such as embryo sexing, will also allow the implantation of pure bred dairy or beef embryos of pre-determined sex.
287. The technique of using sexed semen and sexed embryos should be monitored, both while under development and when commercially available, to determine whether there are any adverse effects on progeny.
288. When commercially available, the sexing of semen should be used to reduce the number of unwanted male dairy calves, provided that the technique has not been shown to produce adverse effects.