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SEVERAL OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU:• Early pregnancy testing

starting at 26 days

• Pregnancy confirmation at 60 days and before dry-off

• GestaLab can be used at milk recording or between tests

• Use prepaid envelopes to take advantage of GestaLab whether you subscribe to milk recording, or not.

26 DAYSPOST

BREEDING

Most producers would agree that:

• Early identification of open cows is important in order to rebreed as quickly as possible;

• Pregnancy confirmation (between 50 and 80 days) after a positive early pregnancy test is important to rule out embryonic mortality.

Some producers (especially with free stall housing) choose to confirm again before drying off to be sure that no cows have been missed.

GestaLab can play an important role in your reproduction strategy. More than 60% of Lactanet clients use at least one of the available options, and the adoption rate continues to grow every year.

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers:

1Pregnancy detection with GestaLab or by ultrasound? Which is better?

The choice is yours! It was clearly demonstrated in a study on more than 500 Holstein cows within 18 Quebec herds that GestaLab’s precision is equivalent to that of ultrasound.

With two such useful tools at your disposal, why not opt to use GestaLab and ultrasound, each at the opportune moment, to maximize efficiency.

2What type of sample can be used for GestaLab?

GestaLab testing can be done on your milk-recording sample. You simply have to ask your technician.

But what if you want to test cows between milk recording visits? You can do that too!

Your technician (or a CIAQ representative) can provide the free materials necessary to take your samples and simply ship them by mail.

This test is effective starting at 26 days post breeding.

A PREGNANCY TEST TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF DAIRY PRODUCERS

3I have a robot milking system. Can I use GestaLab?

You sure can! It is, however, important that the samples be taken manually (directly from the quarter) because the impact of any residual milk (or « carry- over ») which is negligible in conventional milking, can be significant with robot milking systems.

Why not take advantage of a milk-recording visit and give your samples to your technician who will ship them (free) to the Lactanet laboratory.

4I do not subscribe to milk recording. Can I use GestaLab?

No problem! Simply contact our Lactanet customer service department (1 800 266-5248) and we will tell you how you can do it yourself.

5My GestaLab results show that my cow is “open”. What should I do?

The results of the above-mentioned study demonstrated that GestaLab’s precision is equivalent to that of ultrasound. Consequently, if the report indicates “open”, this means that your cow is not pregnant.

If there were any doubt, the report would use another interpretation for the results (for example, “probably open”). In this type of situation, there will be a note in the report indicating that the cow should be retested or examined by a veterinarian. Be sure to read all of the information on the report, it will be very useful.

It is also suggested that you discuss the results with your veterinarian. They can help you to put procedures into place so that cows are bred as quickly as possible.

6I want to share my GestaLab results with my veterinarian. What do I need to do?

If you would like us to share your report with your veterinarian, you simply have to sign an authorization form! This form is available from the Lactanet customer service department (1 800 266-5248) or your veterinarian.