Frank Phillips College on Thursday celebrated the opening of its new Livestock Genetics Center in Borger.

The center will focus on cattle embryo transfer: Embryos harvested from high-priced, sought-after cows are placed into less expensive cows that essentially serve as surrogates.

Were multiplying superior genetics quicker, said Byron Housewright, chairman of the ag department at the college.

Faculty and students will use a hormone to make genetically superior cows produce 15 to 20 embryos instead of one, Housewright explained. The extra embryos are then harvested, examined under a microscope and transplanted into surrogates.

Instead of getting one calf a year out of a single cow, we can get 20, Housewright said.

The center will open housing two top end cows donated to the college from a ranch in Stephenville, he said.

The 4,500-square-foot facility will include a classroom and a covered area to house the cattle. Housewright said the center could quadruple the size of the genetics programs enrollment. The program began last year with five students.

The centers $164,000 cost was offset by a $100,000 grant from the Borger Economic Development Corp.

We felt like that would be a good thing for the college and also do something for the cattle industry, said Dan Redd, chief executive of the Borger EDC.

The center was also funded by the the City of Borger, Borger Chamber of Commerce and grants from Agrium Inc. and Monsanto Co., Housewright said.

Housewright said a commercial service to ranchers in the region would come alongside educational opportunities for students, who can earn certification in artificial insemination.

Our first commercial customer will be in June, and its a Texas Future Farmers of America chapter that has had show heifers and they want babies out of those heifers, he said.

This is a procedure that has become very, very popular in the beef industry, Housewright added.

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Livestock Genetics Center opens in Borger - Amarillo.com