# Human pregnancy tests used on goats?



## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

Ok, I've read and heard conflicting info. on the usage of human pregnancy tests on goats.

Does anyone have personal experience using or trying to use them on their goats?

Thanks!


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## Kits&Kids (Feb 10, 2012)

It has been asked on this forum a few times over the years. From what i remember the answer is no.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I have never even considered using one, so I can't answer that. The easiest way to see if a goat is pregnant is just to watch to see if she comes into heat in three weeks again or not. They are fairly regular in the fall until they are settled. Of course the meat breeds can come into season all year long, but dairy breeds you just watch in the fall on until they settle.
And that is a free way to diagnose a pregnancy too.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

mekasmom said:


> I have never even considered using one, so I can't answer that. The easiest way to see if a goat is pregnant is just to watch to see if she comes into heat in three weeks again or not. They are fairly regular in the fall until they are settled. Of course the meat breeds can come into season all year long, but dairy breeds you just watch in the fall on until they settle.
> And that is a free way to diagnose a pregnancy too.



Nigerians are considered year around breeders & I believe some nubians can be year around as well. Not sure with other dairy breeds but I think most are seasonal breeders.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Dairy breeds are seasonal breeders.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

It's not the same hormone in goats that the human pregnancy test checks for. Don't waste your money.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I have been on this forum a few years and this question always comes up and the answer is no. Won't work. It would be cool if it did though!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Big pharma could make some money if they came up with pee stick preg tests for livestock.
I have always wondered why they haven't done that yet.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

I saw a "First Signal" pregnancy test display at the Walmart checkout line...forget what I was there for. At any rate, they were $0.88 each, so I threw two into my basket. Since I will be pulling blood and getting pregnancy checks done anyway, once I get the results from those (In 31 days, but who is counting?), if one or both of them come back with a positive, I'll run out and put pee-sticks underneath of them that came back positive, and a doe I know *can't* be pregnant, and see if I get matching results.

I've always known that they are supposed to test for different hormones, but i always wanted to experiment with it and see for myself, anyway. $1.76 isn't much to satisfy my curiosity.

Only 29 days until I can pull blood, and 31 days until I get a result back...but who is counting?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Biotracking IS working on the technology to have pee sticks for goats.


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## CJBegins (Nov 20, 2009)

Pregnancy test sure have gotten cheaper since I had kids. Wow $0.88.

Carla


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

FWIW, my Nigerians have been *strongly* seasonal breeders -- to the point where I've had all my does kid within a few days when the buck was running with them all summer and fall. Your mileage may vary; it's probably a genetics thing.

I can generally just look at a goat and tell if she's pregnant. The vulva looks different -- hard to describe, but there's a real difference. 

I'm picturing me running around after a goat trying to get it to pee on a stick ... LOL. Or even just trying to catch urine in a ladle or something. I can only imagine the look the goat would give me. And the neighbors.


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## JBarGFarmKeeper (Nov 1, 2011)

CJBegins said:


> Pregnancy test sure have gotten cheaper since I had kids. Wow $0.88.
> 
> Carla


I used a "cheap" preg test once. Never started took another test, still negative, never started, bought a more expensive test, positive. He's going to be 11. I guess some folks might say the moral of the story might be...stick with the cheap test! :rotfl: Sorry, this is bad. I'm cracking myself up...it's been a HARD week....


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Apparently a Canadian company is marketing a urine pregnancy test for goats now. I did see some info a few weeks ago on another site where a breeder here is working with that company to become a distributer in the states. It sounded like they may be cheaper than Bio tracking.

Couldn't find that post, but found my note on it. It's a snap test you can do at home for cattle and goats and works with urine, blood, and milk. I'll have to keep my eye out for more info.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

BET LABS Goats - Urine Concentration of Total Estrogens Information Page

You have to collect urine and mail it in. Still trying to find the price on their website. Back in a minute.

OMG! $22 per sample. (I had to call to find out. No wonder they don't post the cost on the website.)


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

I'll have to keep my eyes open for postings from that breeder down in Arkansas. If I remember correctly, I think each test itself would be less than $5, but she wasn't sure what the import fees or start up costs were going to run.


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## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

Alice, WOW, that's pricey! biotracking is only like $7.50. Thanks for checking.

Ford Zoo, I think something like that would be much sought after in the goat world, hope they start it!


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## LoneStrChic23 (Jul 30, 2010)

Nope, human pregancy test won't work. I tried it 2 years ago on a doe who was definately bred (she kidded 5 weeks later).

Cheapest generic pregnancy test I've seen here is about $5. Brand name ranges from $7-$16 if you go fancy with the digital windows & such...

Biotracking cost $6.50 per sample, and I'm already sending in CAE test anyway.


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Here's a link to the Canadian company: TwilCanada BOVIPREG

$50 for 10 tests, plus $20 S&H, makes for $7.00 per test, no drawing blood, no paying extra for shipping to BioTracking, No waiting for results.

I haven't read all the particulars, but will definately taking a closer look at this!!


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

mekasmom said:


> Dairy breeds are seasonal breeders.


My Nubians cycle all year. I know for a fact they do because I have gotten kids from them every season of the year. First kids I ever had on our place were born the first weekend of November.

It may or may not have something, though, to do with living in the South, since I have a Colorado friend who raises Nubians, and who happens to also be a vet, who was VERY surprised mine cycle all year.


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## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

Hmmm...Says 96% accuracy with positive results, 97.8% with negative, so why then does it also say: "We recommend 5 consecutive tests for the animal whose insemination date is not known. If this test is performed for 5 days continuously then one negative result during this period will prove that the cow is not pregnant. Otherwise pregnancy is established."??


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Did I miss something? Bovi Preg is for cows.

* * * 

Yes, I did. Here's the paragraph.

This kit also evaluates early pregnancy and suspected pregnancy in sheep and goat. Reproductive physiology of Cow, sheep and goat are almost same except their estrus and gestation periods. In ewe(sheep) and doe(goat) 98% accuracy for detecting non-pregnancy was achieved by using this test at day 18-21 days after mating and gives 97% accuracy of pregnancy, however embryonic death and other pathological condition may give some false positive cases.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

Lol, that would be cool, but alas human pregnancy tests detect human chorionic gonadotropin.

Wondfo test strips are very cheap and sensitive....I may or may not be a serial tester when trying to conceive, so I can neither confirm nor deny that I bought 200 of them off of ebay on multiple occasions for under $5


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

Ok from my understanding human preg tests work on horses, I did one on a little mare that everyone swore was pregnant by looking at her, test said negative, a different vet did a test on her and she was negative. These tests I have been told do not work on goats or cows...
Also my understanding that your northern breeds like Saneen's, Alpine's are Seasonal breeders and your southern like nigi, nubi's, pygmy's are year round. Of course we really screw that up when we cross breed em...


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## JBarGFarmKeeper (Nov 1, 2011)

Even for cows, I would think that Biotracking was more cost effective. It's $2.50 per sample for cows! There is a clinic *almost* close enough to drive to and, surely, even the USPS could have samples there the next day. Tail-bleeding is SUPER easy (with a chute). I, too, would like to see a more reliable, cost effective means of pregnancy detection in goats. I'd love my own ultrasound!


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

wintrrwolf said:


> Also my understanding that your northern breeds like Saneen's, Alpine's are Seasonal breeders and your southern like nigi, nubi's, pygmy's are year round. Of course we really screw that up when we cross breed em...


See, I *told* Cypress that she is an ALPINE, and therefore she was supposed to go into heat in FALL. I explained that she is a SEASONAL breeders, and her season is FALL, *not* April! And there isn't a grade goat in *her* pedigree since 1973!

Although Sequoia is pretty darn cute, he wasn't supposed to happen until NEXT year.

Cypress, at least is one Alpine that did not get the "seasonal breeder" memo. Then again, she is SO blonde, I am not surprised. She probably got the memo, and just forgot!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Goats. Rule breakers.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Anyway, I looked up the Canadian urine pregnancy test, and did some research on it.

It measures progesterone, which cows, goats, and sheep tend to have pretty much through most of their cycles. It is useful if you know the EXACT DAY your doe was bred (such as those of us who used A.I.), and you use the test exactly 18-22 days after that breeding.

Cows, goats, and sheep have a drop in progesterone shortly after they ovulate. Since the test measures progesterone, if you get a negative, you can be absolutely, positively SURE your goat is NOT pregnant.

But if you get a positive, then it could be that she is pregnant, or it could be that she has just hit a high in her cycle.

It could be useful for people who hand-breed or A.I., and have exact dates on breeding. Not so useful to people who run a buck with the herd.


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## ladyh (Jul 31, 2013)

Nigerians are a dairy breed and they go into heat all year long! I have 5 and every 21 +/- days year round.



mekasmom said:


> Dairy breeds are seasonal breeders.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Wow. Talk about resurrection of the dead... LOL!

As long as LadyH dredged this oldie up, has anyone gone with the Canadian preg checks?

I'm still using good ol' Biotracking.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

Is it possible for Nigerians to go into heat every 21 days for 7 months and then NOT go into heat without being bred?

Two of mine are apparently bred for October kids but don't even look pregnant


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Has anyone tried any of these alternative methods?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

They don't work.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Alice I mean like the one where you get it from Canada?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

This is a really old thread. I don't know if that Canadian company is still around. I use Biotracking.

Shipping urine to Canada? I don't think so.

You don't have to use special shipping for Biotracking.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> This is a really old thread. I don't know if that Canadian company is still around. I use Biotracking.
> 
> Shipping urine to Canada? I don't think so.
> 
> You don't have to use special shipping for Biotracking.


Oh wow it is old! Not sure how I even ended up on this one!? I was just thinking milk/urine would be easier to get than blood


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## GoatGirl123 (Jan 23, 2014)

Since we started with Nigerians, I thought it was normal for all goats to go into heat year round! LOL. Ours do every three weeks or so.


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## Emm (Aug 14, 2020)

We just recently tried a human pregnancy test on a goat and she received a positive result. If the test does not work on goats what does this mean.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Absolutely nothing. Human hormone response to pregnancy is different from goat response.


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## Emm (Aug 14, 2020)

Ok that’s good to hear. I was concerned it may mean a growth or hormone imbalance may be occurring to cause the positive test.


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## Emm (Aug 14, 2020)

I’m curious on how this turned out


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