Idexx Laboratories launches new milk pregnancy test

Idexx Laboratories has announced the introduction of an Idexx Milk Pregnancy Test for use in the dairy industry.

Designed to help dairy producers and their veterinarians optimise reproductive efficiency among cattle, the test uses enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology to determine pregnancy status by detecting pregnancy-associated glycoproteins in milk.

It is highly sensitive and specific, offering accuracy similar to that of palpation and ultrasound as early as 35 days post-breeding, while offering the additional benefit of minimising the need to handle the animals.

Given that 9.1 percent of pregnancies among cattle are lost between day 56 and calving, confirming pregnancy can be crucial in saving producers time and money.

Bruce Hoffman, president of Idexx partner Animal Profiling International, said: "Our producer clients are really seeing the benefits of getting a pregnancy test milk sample in the parlour without the extra efforts of having to lock up or sort cows."

This comes after the firm launched an upgraded version of its widely-used xChek livestock health monitoring software earlier this month.