Why Pregnancy Test?
Traditionally pregnancy testing has been carried out to plan the dry off and subsequent calving periods. However, there are other decisions that can be made with the information provided.
As we learn more about the importance of a good transition, and the duration that is required to provide the maximum benefits, early accurate pregnancy testing is vital.
Detecting empty cows early can help us make individual decisions; either to re-submit them for mating, or culling them. Whole herd management can also benefit in terms of planning feed budgets which will be particularly beneficial in dry years.
Retrospective Mating Analysis can be carried out with pregnancy testing data, identifying areas for improvement that could greatly benefit whole herd reproductive performance.
Pregnancy Testing Precision
Cows embryo transfered on the same day will calve over a three week period. The typical precision of a vet is two weeks (when cows are pregnancy tested at the most suitable time!!)
Therefore you could expect a seven week window:
If cows are pregnancy tested late in pregnancy, this could extend our window of calving to three months.
What can I do to Improve the Precision of my Pregnancy Testing?
- Prenancy Test cows at the right stage – 6 weeks after the AI period, AND 6 weeks after the end of Mating.
- Produce a Pregnancy Test Report with all AI matings
Or Provide the Clinic with your matings so that we may be able to generate the report for you.