# Pregnancy testing using milk.



## Joseph (Nov 5, 2010)

I have been trying various methods for hormone pregnancy testing using milk here in the UK. I tried using Heataid milk progesterone ELISA test kit for cows by Ridgeway Science here and this was my result 



. I am sure a similar kit is available in the US.

The progesterone test is cumbersome and has to be carried out every three days over three weeks to ensure consistently high progesterone, rather than normal cycling, and the kit is not cheap at 44.00GBP, but works out cheaper when testing multiple goats. Also progesterone does not differentiate between pseudo pregnancy and pregnancy.

The other *better* option is more conclusive and is also cheaper on a single animal. It is Oestrone Sulphate detection in milk which is sent to a lab. I sent my two samples to Cambridge Specialist Laboratory Services who charged me 25GBP per sample.

But the result is that the two girls who had consistently high progesterone over a three week period also have high levels of OES in their milk and so are quite conclusively pregnant!! RESULT!!

I don't keep a billy, so I took them both to a billy thirty miles up the road, one of my girls is really quiet about her in heat periods and so I decided to sync them both using progesterone sponges which it seems did the trick. Last year I went by behavioural changes and failed. This year I took a more scientific approach and succeeded.

But I am surprised that readily available pregnancy tests exist yet few people seem to know of them I think. Even my vet suggested sending blood samples off which would have been far more expensive.

This is how my results came back after the tests:

MARY S. OESTRONE SULPHATE (PREG) (RIA) *9.2 NG/ML
RIFKELE S. OESTRONE SULPHATE (PREG) (RIA) *12.7 NG/ML

Non Pregnant <0.3 
Pregnant >0.75


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## winky (Jun 19, 2011)

Hi Joseph. Thanks for posting this information. I, like you, don't have a buck so I was really concerned about getting my does successfully bred. I wanted to get them tested at the earliest possible date just in case I had to have them re-bred. I searched all over for pregnancy determination options here in the US. I found lots of research on the topic but no labs who were offering Oestrone Sulphate detection in milk. I would have gone that route if I could have. Maybe the DHI labs will figure out a cost effective way to offer this but the $6.50 price for Biopryn (blood pregnancy test) might be hard to beat.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Interesting... :thumb: The only problem with preg. testing using milk is that most does aren't in milk at that time. But for those that are...that would be very handy.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Not sure.... that I'd use this method.... they don't usually have milk until around ...3.5 to 4 months along ....some a bit sooner....at that time.. just judging by udder development...you will know... they are pregnant...also... I wouldn't want to open the orifices to possible bacteria.... not for me...but thanks for sharing .... :thumb:


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## Joseph (Nov 5, 2010)

Yes, you are quite right that this option is not for yearlings etc. never bred before. My girls are more mature and are currently milking. I will dry them off 5 week before the due date!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Thank you for sharing this! How long after breeding do you have to wait?
I keep my own bucks so I don't have to know right away, but it sounds neat!


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## Joseph (Nov 5, 2010)

Well the diy progesterone EIA test can be done at day 21 after breeding and if it is high, then you know they are bred. It is much simpler if you are actually doing it then because you know that if she hasn't taken she will have low progesterone, but if she has taken she will have higher progesterone levels similar to the mid cycle and you only have to do it the once if you know when her next heat is due.

The other test which a lab must do can only be done at > 50 days.


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