"Matt Berntsen, is owner and manager of Berntsen Dairy. Berntsen Dairy began using BioPRYN® in November, 2004. In April, 2008, Matt is milking 85 cows and has 70 replacement heifers in Conway Springs, Kansas. He uses AI and used BioPRYN® as part of an ovsynch program until recently. He is moving towards a grazing dairy and is trying to schedule calving twice a year (spring and fall). Matt is also exploring direct marketing for the milk that is produced. Matt said he explored using BioPRYN® when it became difficult to find someone competent to palpate every couple of weeks and without scheduling two to four months out. He read about the blood pregnancy test in several publications and then attended a dairy management meeting and heard Dr. Ray Nebel (Reproductive Specialist with Select Sires) speak. After the presentation Dr. Nebel indicated that the BioPRYN® test was an accurate test but thought that shipping the blood across the country was a barrier. Hearing Dr. Nebel say that the test was accurate confirmed that Matt wanted to try the new technology. When asked why he is still using BioPRYN® Matt said the following: “The test is accurate when used as early as 30 days post breeding. It is convenient to use. It can be used every week at my time with no waiting for a vet to arrive. I can get the results by email.” Matt further described some of the barriers that he has heard others express about using the recent technology. Matt stated, “Bleeding the cow is one reason a person may not use the test, however, I find using a vacutainer tube and bleeding needle makes getting 2 mls of blood from the tail pretty easy. Ordering the tubes and needles from Air-Tite has been easy online. I also find that I can print a mail label from the internet and can mail my box from my own mail box. I don’t think mailing the samples to BioTracking is something to worry about. I also think the $2.25 is a very competitive price for the test.” Matt said he has told several about the test and even helped a neighbor or two learn the ropes to bleed, package, and ship the samples.

Matt Bernsten
Bersten Dairy
Conway Springs, Kansas

"BioPRYN® is as convenient or more convenient than palpation and is quite a bit cheaper for me considering mileage and palpation charges. Also, it is highly accurate and safer for embryos when treating cows with hormones to start a new cycle. The re-cycling treatment will abort pregnant cows that are misdiagnosed as open."

Kent Sterk
Sterk Dairy
Newton, Kansas

Bill Wallace, a ranch consultant for beef producers, from Conway, Arkansas, said, "I saw a short article in the magazine," Bovine Veterinarian", about being able to pull a blood sample on cows 30 days after conception in order to determine pregnancy status, and thought that would really be neat so we could cull open cows and heifers without having to have the extra expense of carrying them a few more months".

"In my consulting business we have bled several hundred head. Other producers in the area, that I have shown the technique to, have bled their herds also. One of these producers, Jamey Styles, from Clarksville, Arkansas, has tested close to 200 head. The Sequoyah Ranch from Quitman, Arkansas, has been testing their replacement heifers for a couple of years with very positive results".

"I really believe this is a tool that a progressive rancher can use to fine tune his cattle operation and be more efficient. One of the pluses is that it is very economical to do".

"I have been impressed with the reliability of BioTracking. They get the pregnancy reports to me after 27 hours like they say they will. The technology is upon us and we need to use it!"

David Danzinger, owner, of DS Farms in Alma, Wisconsin said, "I was using ultrasound to pregnancy check my 500 dairy cows and the vet was able to keep busy enough with clients closer to his home, and the vet dropped me. I was ready to try something else and BioPRYN® seemed a good alternative".

BioPRYN® allows me to schedule my whole breeding program on the day of the week I want. No penning cows and waiting for the veterinarian to get there. It is easier to schedule our own labor. The herdsman can even move the day we draw blood a day or so with little consequence.

I preg check at 32,60 and 120 days. So far, BioPRYN® is going as well or better than ultrasound. The price is right.

I use Dairy Comp 305 for my herd records. After using BioPRYN® for little over a year, the annual pregnancy rate for the herd is 21. That is the same as it was when I used ultrasound.

"BioTracking is reliable in getting pregnancy reports back to me. BioPRYN® is working for me."

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