Suitability of serum oestrone sulphate measurement to verify
pregnancy in red deer
K.M. Henderson and N. Beatson
AgResearch, Wallaceville Animal Research Centre, PO Box 40063,
Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1999, 59: 131-133
The mean ± s.e.m. concentration of oestrone sulphate (OS) in
serum from 31 non-pregnant red deer was 2.0±0.2 ng/ml. The value 3
standard deviations above this mean was 6.2 ng/ml which represents the
highest serum OS concentration likely to be found in non-pregnant deer.
Only 2 out of 40 serum samples obtained from 15 deer between 118 and 182
days pregnant had an OS concentra- tion >6.2 ng/ml, the overall mean
± s.e.m. value for the 40 samples being 2.4±0.3 ng/ml. On days
195 and 209 of gestation, 5 of 10 deer and 7 of 9 deer respectively had
serum OS concentrations above 6.2 ng/ml; the mean ± s.e.m.
concentrations on days 195 and 209 being 7.2±1.3 ng/ml and
14.9±3.4 ng/ml respectively. These results show that mean serum OS
concentrations rise markedly in red deer during late gestation, and that
by day 209 serum OS concentrations have risen above 6.2 ng/ml in most
hinds. Measuring serum OS concentrations in the last month before
expected calving may offer an alternative to ultrasonography for
verifying pregnancy status in red deer.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Oestrone sulphate; deer; serum; pregnancy; enzymeimmunoassay.
Last Updated 06-08-1999
