Pregnancy detection

A method of breeding of a female sheep or cow comprising:

• (1) detecting non-pregnancy in the sheep or cow by a method comprising:
• (a) on a day that is after a first breeding of said sheep or cow, wherein said sheep or cow was bred during estrus, said day being before estrus of said sheep or cow is next expected, obtaining a sample of blood or serum from said sheep or cow;
• (b) providing an immunoassay device comprising:
• i. at least one absorbent support;
• ii. an antibody specific to said ISG17 on a said absorbent support;
• iii a flow control component on a said absorbent support;
• iv. means for detecting binding of said antibody with said ISG17;
• and
• v. means for comparing the binding level of ISG17 in the test sample with a background binding level of ISG17 in a control sample from a non-pregnant animal, a pregnant animal or a recently-aborted animal of the same species;
• (c) flowing the sample into the immunoassay test device into contact with the antibody;
• (d) detecting a binding level of said antibody with said ISG17 in the test sample not greater than that of said binding level with ISG17 in a control sample from a non-pregnant animal or recently-aborted animal of the same species, or less than that of said binding level of ISG17 in a control sample from a pregnant animal of the same species;
• said binding level of said antibody with ISG17 in the test sample not greater than that in the control sample from a non-pregnant animal or recently-aborted animal of the same species, or said binding level with ISG17 in the test sample less than that in the control sample from a pregnant animal of the same species being indicative of non-pregnancy;
• wherein said method does not include a cell-lysing step;
• (2) if the sheep or cow is determined not to be pregnant, forcing estrus or monitoring for and detecting signs of behavioral estrus;
• and
• (3) effecting a second breeding of said sheep or cow.

A method detecting non-pregnancy in a sheep or cow by a method comprising:

• (1) obtaining a sample of blood or serum from said sheep or cow;
• (2) providing an immunoassay device comprising:
• (a) at least one absorbent support;
• (b) an antibody specific to said ISG17 on a said absorbent support;
• (c) a flow control component on a said absorbent support;
• (d) means for detecting binding of said antibody with said ISG17;
• and
• (e) means for comparing the binding level of ISG17 in the test sample with a background binding level of ISG17 in a control sample from a non-pregnant animal, a pregnant animal or a recently-aborted animal of the same species;
• (3) flowing the sample into the immunoassay test device into contact with the antibody;
• (4) detecting a binding level of said antibody with said ISG17 in the test sample not greater than that of said binding level with ISG17 in a control sample from a non-pregnant animal or recently-aborted animal of the same species, or less than that of said binding level of ISG17 in a control sample from a pregnant animal of the same species;
• said binding level of said antibody with ISG17 in the test sample not greater than that in the control sample from a non-pregnant animal or recently-aborted animal of the same species, or said binding level with ISG17 in the test sample less than that in the control sample from a pregnant animal of the same species being indicative of non-pregnancy;
• wherein said method does not include a cell-lysing step.