Second progesterone test was done on Friday (Day 11) - used my own vet this time, bit more expensive for the consultation but they were able to spin the serum out from the blood for me so Croft would be able to obtain a better reading. Sent sample off Saturday next day delivery and had the call from Croft at 11am on Saturday.
Reading this time was 7.1 nmol/L which was exactly what I was hoping for. This indicates that the LH surge has taken place, and has elevated the progesterone up from it's Monday level of 1.6 nmol/L (and also indicates that ovulation not yet occurred). The blood sample was done at 10am on Friday, so LH surge probably occurred late Thursday/early Friday. From this, the date of ovulation can be determined as being Saturday or Sunday (remembering this is not an exact science down to the nearest hour but can probably pinpoint events within 24 hours if tested at the right times).
The recommendation for the best time for mating is 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 days post-ovulation. So assuming ovulation is taking place on Saturday or Sunday, I'm going for a mating on Monday and Wednesday. The eggs take approximately 2 days to become fertile after being released (at ovulation) and then remain fertile for another 2-3 days. Fresh semen can remain viable in the reproductive tract for 5-6 days so the combination of the mating days above will provide maximum contact between the fertile eggs and healthy sperm.
So, science and testing takes a rest now, and Mother Nature is being called in :) Jess has no idea what's in store for her ! Time to refresh myself a bit more about the mating process but luckily I'll have Lynda there with her wealth of experience to guide us through the process !
Cost : £30 for the test, £30 for my vet to collect the blood sample and £5 postage (£65).
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