Recording Pregnancy Testing and Foetal Ageing 

Recording Pregnancy Testing and Foetal Ageing 

Pregnancy testing is an important management practice used to determine the reproductive status of females within a herd. When combined with foetal age recording, it can provide valuable insights into fertility, calving patterns, and overall herd productivity. 

Recording Pregnancy Testing and Foetal Ageing 

Pregnancy testing is typically conducted after the joining period as part of routine herd management.

Foetal age should be recorded at the time of testing where possible, to support accurate grouping and future performance records. 

Pregnancy and foetal aging should be recorded on the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) Cow Performance Template for submission. 

Female pregnancy records are: Pregnant or Not Pregnant  

Foetal Age records: should be estimated by a qualified technician using ultrasound or palpation techniques in weeks. Foetal age data should be linked to the corresponding female and maintained alongside reproductive and birth records. 

Why is it important? 

Recording pregnancy test results allows producers to: 

  • Identify pregnant and non-pregnant females for management and culling decisions 
  • Monitor reproductive performance within the herd 
  • Support more informed joining and calving management strategies 

Foetal age recording adds further value by: 

  • Providing an estimate of conception timing 
  • Supporting the identification of calving spread within a herd 
  • Assisting with the allocation of contemporary and management groups 

Helpful Hints: 

  • Record pregnancy test results for the entire group, not just selected animals 
  • Ensure testing is carried out by a trained and experienced operator 
  • Use foetal age data to improve calving management and grouping decisions 
  • Maintain consistent recording practices to support reliable performance data 

Completed templates should be submitted to the AWA performance email for processing. 

Note – Pregnancy test data is not currently used in the WBV evaluation but may be in the future for enhanced fertility WBVs. 

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It is a condition of use of this database that you accept these terms and conditions. 

It is important that you appreciate when accessing the Australian Wagyu Association Limited (AWA) database (which may be hosted on an external website) that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) and Index values (together called Database Information), is based on data supplied by AWA members and/or third parties. 

Whilst sincere effort is made to ensure the Database Information is accurate and complete, to the extent permitted by law, AWA, its officers and employees, shall not be responsible for its use or interpretation, and you use the Database Information at your own risk. Please be aware of the following limitations of the Database Information.  

Regarding WBVs and Index values, it is important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that: 

  • WBVs are derived using genetic evaluation technology developed for the AWA, using information contained within the AWA database and parameters derived from it.
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  • Animals whose registration identifiers start with PED are Pedigree Recorded Animals. What this means is that the details which AWA used to register the animal were obtained from a Recognised Wagyu Registry Organisation – in other words a Wagyu breed association based outside of Australia. AWA has not independently verified the information with respect to the animal or the details recorded about the animal. You should read AWA’s by-laws which set out details regarding the definition of a Pedigree Recorded Animal. 
  • Pedigree and DNA data submitted and supplied to AWA may have errors in it which cannot be detected without further DNA testing. 
  • Technology may have advanced since a particular test was undertaken so that genetic issues or inaccuracies which were previously not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology (i.e. if the animal was tested again with current technology). 
  • AWA estimates that less than 1% of the pedigree entries, ownership or breeding details in the AWA Herdbook may have errors or which may be misleading. For this reason, users ought to consider if they need to obtain independent testing of the relevant animal (if possible) to ensure that the data is accurate. 

Regarding prefectural content, it is important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that: 

  • Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams. As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated. 
  • The calculation of prefectural content for Australian Herdbook animals relies on the accuracy of pedigree records and DNA samples provided by AWA members.   

Regarding DNA testing and genetic condition results submitted to the AWA, it is important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that: 

  • As genetic testing results are provided by independent DNA testing laboratories at the request of AWA members, AWA relies solely on the accuracy of the reporting of genetic testing as completed by the laboratories. 
  • AWA uses GeneProb software to calculate the likelihood of pedigree animals being a carrier of genetic conditions.  This likelihood is an estimate based on the available genetic testing results. 

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and/or implications of the data provided on this website or the WBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek expert advice.  Note there is substantial technical information and articles on the Wagyu website to assist our members. 

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