Pregnancy blood testing

Help Support Steer Planet:

zak

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
582
Who do send your blood to for pregnancy testing? Is it usually 100% correct?



Zak
 

CPL

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
608
It is very accurate, I've have been told the only reasons it not right at 100% is because you can't take in account the number of abortions. Say a cow really is pregnant at 30 days, but over the course of the first trimester she looses it, it will make the test look inaccurate.

At any rate, we send ours to the original BioTracking Lab in Idaho. I know there are many "satellite" labs available now, but I still use the main lab. They have never done me wrong.
 

zak

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2008
Messages
582
Where exactally is the best place to pull blood from?


Zak
 

CPL

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
608
zak said:
Where exactally is the best place to pull blood from?


Zak

It really just depends on the individual. For some (and probably recommended as the "easiest") the tail vein. That's what BioTracking lists, but I've found it rather frustrating at times because on some cows it will just flow, others it drips, and others we cant get anything. For those who know how to get blood from the jugular vein, that is usually the quicker way, but again a little background knowledge is needed.
 

3dfarms

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
266
Location
North Carolina
We have had good success with it.  Several semen distributors now have the testing available as mentioned above, and we also pull blood from the tail.
 

Redangus01

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
112
Use it every year and it has never let me down! I use Laurel Hill Vet Ser. Dr. Wilcox Arlington Rd P.O. Box 35 East Smithfield PA 18817  570-596-202.  its $2.40 a sample
 

CCW

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
98
I mail them to SEK Genetics and it costs $2.50/test. I pull blood out of the tail and it took a few times to get the hang of it, but now I can do it in a few seconds. SEK Genetics has instructions on how to do it on their website.
 

cowcrazy

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
161
We use Biotracking and have never had a bad test. You can go to their website and there is a video that shows how to tail stick. It takes a little practice, but is relatively easy. Good luck!
 

CPL

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 15, 2007
Messages
608
linnettejane said:
will they ever just have a do it yourself test???  you know, like EPT, only for cows? 

Last I spoke with the folks at BioTracking they were working on it. The EPT thing will not work because cattle don't possess the same protein in their urine as humans do during pregnancy.
 
Top