USE OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY FOR PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS IN BALKHI SHEEP
M. ANWAR, A. RIAZ, N. ULLAH AND M. RAFIQ
Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre,
Islamabad,
45500, Pakistan
Abstract
The
present study was conducted to determine the earliest stage of gestation at
which pregnancy could be detected through transabdominal ultrasonography, to
describe development characteristics of pregnancy from day 26 to day 60 of
gestation, and to assess the accuracy of flock pregnancy diagnosis on day 75
after ram introduction in “Balkhi sheep” of
Pakistan.A real time
B-mode ultrasound scanner equipped with a 3.5 MHz probe was used for this
purpose. A 100% accuracy of the pregnancy diagnosis was achieved at day 42 of
gestation. Placentomes and leg buds were visible in 100% cases between 45 and 50
days of gestation, and vertebral column was apparent in 100% ewes between 51 and
55 days of gestation. Accuracy
of flock pregnancy diagnosis was assessed by once only ultrasono- graphy at 75th
day after introduction of ram in 71 ewes over two breeding seasons. Flock
pregnancy test performed at this day was 97% accurate.