Laboratory 3

1. Introduction
2. Review: Progesterone in cattle
   1. Normal cycle
   2. Pregnancy
3. Measurement of Milk Progesterone

Introduction

Reproductive hormones can be used in the management of production animals. Hormones can be used both diagnostically or therapeutically.

Rapid advances in technology allow on-the-farm diagnostic kits to be economical and accurate. Milk Progesterone kits are used to determine the stage of reproductive cycle or as a preliminary diagnosis of pregnancy.

Milk progesterone tests can be used to confirm estrus (low progesterone), determine if a cow has a functional CL, identify ovarian cysts, or to test recipient cows for embryo transfer.

The cost of the tests vary from $78.00/ 20 tests (Target; BioMetallics, Princeton, NJ) to $66/24 tests (ACCUFIRM; Immucell, Portland ME).