Not all cattle pregnancy testing services are created equal, according to the Australian Veterinary Associaition.

The peak veterinary body is urging producers to only use services that are accredited with its National Cattle Pregnancy Diagnosis scheme.

Cattle vet and AVO spokesman Dr Rob Bonanno said the scheme is the only nationally recognised and audited tail-tagging system for the identificaiton and certification of cattle pregnancy status.

“This is really a dollars and cents issue for farmers," Dr Bonanno said.

"The NCPD scheme gives certainty to buyers and prevents incorrect assessment of cattle that can have a serious economic impact for farmers.

“On some farms as many as 30 per cent of ultrasound tested animals determined to not be pregnant were later shown to have been pregnant. Under the NCPD scheme, only accredited vets are able to apply the tags, so when you buy or sell a cow or heifer with a tag you know that they have been tested by an expert,” he said.

The AVA says that inaccuracy in pregnancy testing can be expensive for producers, so it makes good business sense to get it right the first time.

“Ultrasound pregnancy testing has limitations which mean that a pregnancy can be missed. Vets are able to address these limitations through accurate manual checking of non-confirmed pregnancies,” said Dr Bonanno.

“Another advantage of using a qualified vet for this work is that they are more likely to pick up any other reproductive issues on the farm and provide solutions for the producer,” he said.

Further information about the NCPD scheme can be found by clicking here.