Mona
Well-Known Member
Pregnancy test using manure
There is also an exciting totally non-invasive pregnancy test that
provides an accurate determination of whether a mare is in foal or not,
without the expense of a visit by a vet, the taking of blood or patiently
waiting for the mare to urinate. A fresh sample of a mare's manure
is collected at least 160 days from ovulation or the known last date
of service (or the assumed last date of service in the case of paddock-
bred mares), placed in a container provided with a test kit and
sent to a laboratory and the result of the test is then available within a
few days. The test also works by measuring the amount of oestrone
sulphate present in the manure. As mentioned above, the hormone
is only present when the mare is carrying a living foal and by 160
days there is enough of the hormone present in manure to determine
pregnancy. This is a breakthrough for mare owners but unfortunately
the test kit is not yet available in Australia. However, if enough mare
owners demand access to it the manufacturer may be encouraged to
find a local distributor. Contact www.promarlabs.com
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