Alertys Milk Pregnancy Test

28 day pregnancy check run alongside your herd testing. Tick a box and let your herd testing centre do the rest!

When a cow becomes pregnant she produces pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs). These PAGs are only produced in the presence of a live embryo of fetus.

The Alertys Milk Pregnancy Test, very accurately detects these PAGs in the milk samples from cattle, goats, sheep and water buffaloes as a marker for pregnancy.

Want to sign up to the Alertys Milk Pregnancy Test Today?

Click Here

How the test works

Sample Collection

Testing

Results

Milk is collected as part of your routine herd testing and can be done any time after 28 days of gestation

As part of routine herd testing, your samples can be tested for pregnancy specific proteins (PAG's), indicating if a cow is pregnant or not.

Trusted ELISA technology provides accurate results on par with palpation and ultrasound.

Report

Results are reported by txt message, email or post showing which cows are not in calf, those that are and any that should be rechecked.

Is the test reliable?

The test is proven to be accurate as early as 28 days after insemination
Already more than 30 million tests performed worldwide

SENSITIVITY

% of accurate results on pregnant cows

99%

SPECIFICITY

% of accurate results on non pregnant cows

94%

COWS TO BE RE-CHECKED

(Level of PAGs is in between pregnant and non pregnant)

of the total

What does a re-check result mean?

It is a sample containing a small quantity of gestation proteins (the vial contains too many PAGs to confirm the cow is non-pregnant but not enough to confirm that she is pregnant).
If the farmer received a re-check result, a sample needs to be taken again from the cow at a later date to rerun the test.

Several possible causes:

A cow sampled too early: < 28 days from AI or < 60 days from lactation

A cow that has just aborted: 8 days are required to become negative if the cow aborts at around 30-50 days.

What are the benefits?

With just a few drops of milk received at the lab you could:

Find open cows as early as 28 days post-insemination

Confirm pregnancy status throughout gestation

Take appropriate action immediately, from as early as 28 days

Improve reproductive management and performance

Overall benefits of the Alertys Milk Pregnancy Test

Informed dry off decisions
Apart of routine herd testing
Less stress for the farmer
Improved animal welfare

Reduced costs
Beneficial anytime during gestation
Detect embryo losses
Prevent culling of pregnant cows

Dry off Testing.. Why?

Using the Alertys Milk Pregnancy Test prior to dry off

The biggest return on investment from pregnancy testing can be achieved by conducting a pre-dry off pregnancy check.

Dairy Australia estimates an average of 7.8% of pregnancies in Australian grazing dairy cattle identified at early pregnancy testing are lost before day 140. An additional pregnancy check to ensure cows have maintained pregnancies prior to dry off makes strong economic sense.

Costs of drying off an empty cow:

Direct variable costs of drying off a cow

(assuming dry cow, teal seal, etc)

$40 - $60

Holding cost until sold

(assuming dry cow has been used)

$160 - $180

Loss of margin as a result of prematurely drying off an empty cow-if applicable

$350 - $775

Total operation loss:

Drying off, holding, margin loss

$200 - $1015

OMJ Agricultural Consulting - John Mulvany "Assessment of the Alertys Milk Pregnancy Test" 2020

Pre Dry Off Testing Trials

Farmer Testimonials

Tom Kent

Lang Lang (VIC)

I run a 345hd milking herd. We signed up to the Alertys Milk Pregnancy Dry-Off trial to determine the accuracy of the test in late lactation. 121 cows were tested and 2 were found to be open. I had suspected those 2 cows were open, but this test allowed me to have peace of mind in knowing the animals that I dried off were actually pregnant. This also gave me the opportunity to identify and carry the opens cows through. I believe this test will save me money when I pair it with an early vet check and using the milk pregnancy testing at dry off to avoid drying off any open cows. I would definitely recommend this test to other farmers.

Evan Campbell

Yannathan (VIC)

We run a 400hd milking herd. As this is a focus farm, we wanted to sign up to the Alertys Milk Pregnancy Dry-Off trial and weigh up the cost-benefit analysis of the technology and see if it would work in a seasonal herd. 367 cows were tested, and 43 of them returning back as open. The opens were expected to be found; they were in line with the vet preg tests that had been carried out. Having an accurate identification of either pregnant or empty insured we weren’t wasting money on drying off cows and waiting for the 7 week withhold period. The information gave me the opportunity to either milk the empty animals through or cull them. This test has saved me money by making the right management decision with my cows, and I will absolutely be using it again as the technology is proven and the results really do stack up. I’d definitely recommend implementation into other dairy farms.

Stuart and Jacqui Tracy

Waratah Bay (VIC)

We run a split calving 700hd dairy operation with a crossbreed herd. We signed up to the Alertys Milk Pregnancy Dry-Off trial to see if cows were holding their pregnancies and so as not to dry off empty cows. A total of 178 cows were checked, and 4 that were previously diagnosed as pregnant were found to be empty. We always expect to get a few that will be empty, but now that we can use the Alertys Milk Pregnancy test prior to dry off, it will ensure we never dry off empty cows again. Knowing those 4 cows were empty and not drying them off definitely allowed us to save money and make the right management decision. Without the test that wouldn’t have been possible. We will be using this test again, and we would like to recommend it to other farmers.