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The Midwest Cattleman %u00b7 October 24, 2024 %u00b7 P5Cover Photo Courtesy ofSend address changes to:1402 NW County Road 2001Butler, MO 64730Subscription rate is $15.00 Per Year$25.00 For Two YearsEditor/AdvertisingAdvertising660-200-5941Brenda BlackAshley Williams417-309-1155National AdvertisingWendy McFarland McFarland AdVantage 334-652-9080 McFarlandAdVantage@gmail.comDesign2025 Printing Dateswww.HPCreative.designHeather RiceJan 9thFeb 6thMar 6thApr 3rdMay 8thAustin Black660-200-6327austin@backroad-productions.comJun/Jul (June 12th)Aug 7thSept 11thOct 9thNov/Dec (Nov 13th)Shorthorn CountryTypically, replacement heifers are bred to calve earlier than mature cows. By conducting early pregnancy diagnosis, producers can make management decisions that impact herd viability and expected financial outcomes. Through early pregnancy diagnosis, producers can use seasonal price differences to their advantage. Beef females are often pregnancy diagnosed in late fall (October or November) and marketed at that time or shortly afterward at seasonally low prices.Early Pregnancy TestingPregnancy diagnosis can occur as early as 30 days after breeding (or after conception). Producers have several options to pregnancy diagnosis replacements: palpation, ultrasound, or a blood test. There are trade-offs with each method, but knowing will expedite how opens are managed.When pregnancy can be detected via palpation depends on the experience of the technician. Normally the early end of detection is effective 30 to 50 days after breeding. Ultrasound technicians can normally find the fetus at 30 days. Blood testing via Pregnancy-Associated Glycoproteins (PAG) can be done chute side or by sending in blood samples. Depending on the blood test selected, results can be determined at the chute side or mailed in for analysis.One disadvantage of early pregnancy diagnosis is the risk of pregnancy loss. This is associated with the stress of handling the animals. Research has shown a pregnancy loss of 1.0 to 3.5% when palpation or ultrasound are used for pregnancy diagnosis continued on page 14Merits of Early Pregnancy Diagnosis in Replacement HeifersBy Julie Walker, SDSU Extension Beef Specialist