Rolleston Veterinary Services, also known as RVS, is a mobile large animal veterinary practice located in Saint Albans, Maine. We began by offering bovine reproductive services in the fall of 2011 with a focus on superovulation and embryo collection. In July 2015, we expanded into a full service veterinary practice with the addition of general herd health and management services. We specialize in all things bovine as well as specialty reproductive services for small ruminants.
Our goal is to be your one stop shop for bovine medicine as well as for reproductive services for other hoofstock. We specialize in advanced reproductive technologies such as superovulation, embryo transfer (of both conventional and IVF embryos), ultrasonography, fetal sexing, artificial insemination, cryopreservation of embryos, and reproductive management consultations.
Our practice is certified with the American Embryo Transfer Association and we are able to collect and freeze embryos for export.
We hold veterinary state licenses and federal accreditation in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.
Affiliations & Memberships
History
The seed of this company was deeply planted 30 years ago. When Matthew was four years old, he received his first calf for Christmas, a long- lashed Jersey heifer named Poppy. From that day forward, his fascination with livestock flourished into a full-fledged, lifelong passion. In high school, Matthew acquired his first Highland cow and spent his days developing and genetically enhancing his growing herd of registered cows. He worked at a local dairy farm as well. With an ever- growing interest in the field, Matthew also spent countless hours shadowing large animal veterinarians in the area.
Upon graduating from Foxcroft Academy in 2002, Matthew continued his education at the University of Maine where he double majored in Animal Science and Chemistry. To further his skills and knowledge of the cattle genetics industry, he became a certified artificial insemination technician and worked for Genex Cooperative, Inc. as an intern throughout his undergraduate career.
In 2005, Matthew honed his skills in the livestock industry while working at a Highland cattle enterprise, Black Watch Farm, located in Springfield, Vermont. As farm manager, Matthew gained immeasurable experience in herd reproductive management, as well as general care, husbandry, and stewardship demanded of any beef operation.
Matthew started his doctorate of veterinary medicine at Iowa State University in the fall of 2007. He continued his management of Black Watch Farm and simultaneously concentrated on his rigorous studies by frequently catching planes between Vermont and Iowa. As graduation drew near and large animal externships took him around the country, Matthew made the decision to return to his home state to begin his career as a veterinarian.
By acquiring his first job at a clinic in his hometown of Dover-Foxcroft, Matthew was able to put all of his knowledge from veterinary school into action and diversify and develop his surgical and diagnostic skills as a mixed animal practitioner. With his never ceasing passion for bovine reproduction, he decided to start his first company, Rolleston Veterinary Reproductive Services, in 2011. For four years, he kept himself busy with his full-time job at the mixed animal practice while performing embryo flushing and transfers for bovine clients on weekends and whenever he could find free time.
In early 2015, it became evident that, in order to fulfill the growing demand for his expertise, Matthew would have to dedicate his career solely on large animal medicine. Thus, he merged his two career paths and started a full service large animal mobile practice, Rolleston Veterinary Services. The goal of this new endeavor was to focus solely on ruminant reproduction and bovine medicine.
Matthew and Courtney, who also studied Animal Science at the University of Maine, teamed up to develop their small ruminant reproduction skills. They started by performing laparoscopic artificial insemination and embryo transfer on their own flock of registered Bluefaced Leicester and Clun Forest sheep. After mastering these progressive reproductive techniques, they began offering laparoscopic AI and embryo transfer (ET) to their small ruminant clients in the fall of 2016.
To further their venture and deepen their ability to serve clientele, they created a livestock germplasm import service in 2017. This led to the first importation of ovine semen in almost a decade from the United Kingdom into the United States. Rolleston Veterinary Services also began a storage and shipping facility for client owned cryopreserved semen and embryos. In addition to RVS, Courtney and Matthew formed a second company, Heritage Breed Genetics which specializes in marketing bovine, ovine, and caprine genetics for clients.
Rolleston Veterinary Services was created for the purpose of delivering clients top of the line services including progressive reproductive technology to importing elite genetics from around the globe. We believe that not only offering high end reproductive services, but being able to treat the whole cow gives us the ability to best serve our clients.