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tubes chute side and keep them organized. Further, he reminded attendees to use a new needle and syringe for every sample to prevent disease transmission between animals and any contamination of blood samples – which is also why an appropri- ately sized, thick plastic sharps container is a necessity. For disposing needles, Heath recommended something like a laundry detergent container – he emphasized that a milk jug or pop bottle are not adequate because the plastic isn’t thick enough. A video showing the steps to collect- ing blood samples from the tail can be found at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lLgjMJCMfvI . Once the collections are gathered, they should be shipped within three days at ambient (room) temperature (never frozen). Under these conditions, PSPB will remain stable in the blood, giving producers the best chance for a high-accuracy pregnancy reading. The test can give false readings if blood samples aren’t collected and shipped according to these guidelines.

SUCCESSFUL SAMPLING Continued from page 16

tail a little bit, and go ahead and insert your needle and tube and then draw blood from that spot.” Heath pointed out that collect- ing blood samples may be a skill that is easier to train em- ployees to do compared to

Heath points to the correct location for a successful blood draw.

palpation for pregnancy checking. When collecting a blood sample, the goal is to gather 2 to 3 mL of blood. Health also recommended using the gridded boxes that blood/Vacutainer ® tubes come in to hold the

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POSTPONED TO AUGUST, 2021

POSTPONED

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