New Cow-Side Pregnancy Test!

[cccjerseys]

A question? Someone told me that people preg tests work. I havent tried it but they are really cheap at Dollor General. I want to try but am chicken to buy in a small town. You know how rumors can go! Its pretty much the same hormone. Anyway I thought that I would add that and see if anyone knew about it or had tried it.

[Jerseylady*Heather*]

Hey I have two cows that I want to check. If we decide to do a pool count me in I can send $ through paypal too.

I have thought of tring the human pregnancy test since my cow pees on command every time I milk her. But I too live in a small town and when I walk in the store with a whole herd of kids and get a pregnancy test I get a few funny looks LOL. But maybe I will try it. It is only $1 at the dollar store. I will let you know if I do.

[Jenn]

I'm pretty sure the human ones ONLY work on humans.
-Jenn

[katherine]

Well, there is plenty of interest in this test, for sure. Ann, I don't want you to be overwhelmed with offers. I'll happily pay you 10$ for one. (If that would cover shipping as well.) Or if we should organize a pool, I'm in.

I don't think my email address is posted in my profile. I'll go change that now.

As for the human test, it measures gonadatropin which all mammals produce. I think, if your cow's urine is too dilute, it won't work. But if you catch a nice early morning pee, it can work. I think its unreliable, though.

[Kathie]

U.S. Acres Today had an article a couple of years ago that said the people home pregnancy tests do NOT work on cows, sheep, goats or buffalo.

[judithtcar]

It was supposed to be out about 2yrs ago in the United States and for some reason it had gotten hung up in court I read a artical about it an the Angus magizine back then and tried to keep up with what was going on with it. Back then it was supposed to be kinda like Biotracking. Glad you found it thanks for sharing info.

[Shawn]

Jan 4, 2010 13:20:36 GMT -5 KnockingbirdKelly said:

I'm gonna have to wriggle into my Big Girl Panties and master the blood draw for the Bio-PRYN test, whether I like it or not!

ROFLMBO

Yeah, and sometimes they give you a big wedgie, too!

[wyomama]

Okay, I read the site some more, and I'm thinking that some people might be having unrealistic expectations. (I know I was!)

From the site:
Positive results are 90-95% accurate on single test

Because sometime the animal which has been tested pregnant by Preg-O-Vet may not be pregnant due to the following reasons and in that case the animal may return to heat anywhere between 25-45 post -insemination day.

* Some of the cows do not show estrus exactly every 21 days alternate. A non-pregnant cow may be in estrus cycle less than 21 days after insemination. This cow may ovulate and form a corpus luteum, which increase the progesterone concentrations in milk, and diagnosed as pregnant during pregnancy test.

* Cows with reproductive problems such as ovarian cysts or uterine infections also cause high progesterone concentrations and be diagnosed as pregnant.

* Cows may be pregnant at 21 days after insemination but lose that pregnancy in the next 25 to 45 days. This can be due to abortion or due to fetal death. Pregnancy losses in such period may reach up to 30 % according to recent estimates.

* Sometime cows are inseminated when not really in estrus. At 21 days after insemination, these cows will often be in the luteal phase and have high progesterone concentrations though it may not have pregnancy.

HENCE IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE TEST SHOULD REPEAT AFTER 25 DAYS OF THE FIRST TEST PROVIDED THE ANIMAL HAS NOT RETURN TO HEAT
If second test reveal Positive result it can be concluded that the animal is PREGNANT

Okay, so what I'm getting from this is that for the test to be accurate, you HAVE TO KNOW the cow's cycle, and you have to test on the right days. So, like in my situation, where two cows have been with a bull for almost 3 months post calving, and they hang out mostly where I can't see them except for milking time, I can't just test them and say "yep, they are pregnant". Because if she isn't, and I inadvertantly test on days 7-19, she would be in the luteal phase, and would test pregnant even if she is not. So I would have to test, if I get a pregnant, then use patches or watch very closely for signs of heat for the next days, then test again.

If you had your single cow AI'd, and are wanting to use this test because you chickened out on biotracking, you'd have to check the calendar very carefully to make sure that if she's not pregnant, you are testing during what would be her follicular phase.

Ann? Do I have that right?

[katherine]

So if you test after the 20th day and results are negative that is 100% reliable. If she tests positive, its 90% reliable but you should repeat the test in a few weeks to be 100% certain. Yes, do I have that right? Because that seems pretty good to me.

[wyomama]

Jan 26, 2010 11:14:32 GMT -5 katherine said:

So if you test after the 20th day and results are negative that is 100% reliable.

Correct

If she tests positive, its 90% reliable

If you test on day 21, 22, 23, 24, or maybe 25, then yes.

BUT, if you test, say on day 33, then no. (Assuming I understand how it works correctly) Because day 33 would put you in the middle of the luteal phase if she is not pregnant, which could give you a false positive.

The test is 90% reliable if you test 20 days post insemination - meaning exactly 20 days post insemination. My hopeful, lazy self read that as "at least 20 days post insemination". I do not think that is the case.

[Selden]

So if I'm hoping/thinking/praying Katika is five months pregnant, and the tests say she is (I have NO IDEA of any schedule), it could still be wrong. Oh dear.