Accurate pregnancy testing can’t be underestimated in terms of its value on Aussie farms

For Australia’s beef and dairy cattle producers, early and accurate pregnancy testing is making a marked impact on productivity and farm profits.

Cattle veterinarian and President of the Australian Veterinary Association’s cattle group, Dr. Alan Guilfoyle, said that with more producers adopting the accredited PREgCHECK™ scheme, a first for the Australian industry, false positives are becoming less frequent and producers are seeing the difference in their production figures and their overall bottom line.

“Accuracy is critical to get a good return on your investment – it’s critical for productivity, which affects profitability. For example, if you test a cow for pregnancy and receive a false positive, you’ll put it back in the field believing it’s pregnant when it’s not, and that’s an extra year’s worth of feed. And if the cow is pregnant but tested as empty, it’s purely economic loss.

“Better control of the calving cycle also helps producers to segregate according to the stage of gestation leading to better nutritional and grazing management as well as better welfare outcomes.

“At the end of the day, accurate pregnancy testing in both dairy and beef cattle will only ever be a win-win for producers – the benefits certainly outweigh the costs. It’s a crucial part of sound cattle management” he said.

To meet industry demand for quality assurance in pregnancy diagnosis, the AVA’s cattle group developed the only accredited and audited cattle pregnancy testing scheme in Australia called PREgCHECK™. It is a robust system that has stood the test of time with accreditation standards constantly reviewed or upgraded. Through PREgCHECK™, producers have peace of mind when it comes to the pregnancy status of their herd.

“PREgCHECK™ requires per rectal examination of the reproductive tract by manual and/or ultrasound including the uterus foetus and the placenta to determine the stage of pregnancy. This system is proven to be more accurate and reliable than any other method of testing for pregnancy.

“Under our scheme, only vets accredited to the PREgCHECK™ protocols are able to apply tags, so when you buy or sell a cow or heifer you know it’s been tested by a PregCHECK™ vet. The scheme has also increased the level of integrity and confidence of the Australian live export trade” Dr. Guilfoyle said.

“We’re very proud to support the profitability and sustainability of the Australian beef and dairy industries with this scheme.

For more information about PREgCHECK™, including case studies visit:
www.ava.com.au/cattle/pregcheck-public

For further information and requests for interviews contact the AVA media office on 0439 628 898 or media@ava.com.au.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is the only national association representing veterinarians in Australia. Founded in 1921, the AVA today represents 9000 members working in all areas of animal science, health, and welfare.