A Pregnancy Testing Program for Your Herd

If you require the most accurate results for planing drying off and inductions, cows should be preg tested when they are less than 12 weeks pregnant.

The recommended program for most herds is:

  1. 12 weeks after mating start date

    For most herds with a 6 week AI period this will be all cows joined to AI. If the AI period was less than 6 weeks preg test the whole herd. This will identify expected calving dates for all early calving cows.

     

  2. 18 weeks after mating start date

    Preg test all cows which were not diagnosed pregnant at the earlier visit plus any cows which have been seen on heat. This will identify all cows which are early enough to calve naturally, ie. the first 8 weeks of calving.
    This visit is not as important in herds with a tight calving pattern, where the bulk of the cows have been preg tested in calf to AI.

     

  3. 7 weeks after the bulls are removed from the herd or 26 weeks after mating start date.

    Preg test all cows not detectably pregnant at earlier visits and any seen on heat.

     

If calving is split or spread out, monthly or 6 weekly visits similar to the first two visits will give the greatest accuracy.