PREGNANCY DIGNOSIS AND FETOMETRY IN SAANEN GOATS USING REAL- TIME ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Abstract

Early pregnancy detection in goats was not practicable in the country until now. The present study evaluated the use of ultrasonography in detecting pregnancy as early as 24 days, determining fetal number, viability and establishing gestational equations in a flock of Saanen goats under Sudan conditions. 31dairy Saanen does aged between 7-31 months were used in the study. They were housed and managed at the main center of goat improvement project, (Hilat Kuku), Khartoum state. Estrus was carefully observed and each doe was naturally mated twice on the 1st and 2nd day of estrus, hence the first day of estrus was designated as day 0 of gestation. Real–time B- mode ultrasonography was performed with 3.5MHz transabdominal curvilinear transducer. The accuracy of Ultrasound (US) in detecting pregnancy was 100% in both positive (29) cases and negative (2) cases. The accuracy of detecting single feti, twins and triplets was 88.2%, 77.7% and 50% respectively. Blood sample was taken from each animal at the time of Ultrasound scanning for progesterone assay. Contrary to the ultrasound scanning the progesterone assay detected all pregnant animals but failed to detect non pregnant ones, (accuracy 93.5%) or fetal number. Four nillparous does of the same age, weight and date of natural mating were scanned at weekly intervals from day 46-67 and 46-95 for measuring (CRL) and (BPD) respectively and Gestational equations were established as follows: CRL = 0.464 x- 17.767 BPD = 0.055 x-1.431 Where x is the Gestational Age (GA). The correlation coefficient between the (GA) and each of the two parameters was found to be highly significant (P<0.0001) The (CRL) was some times difficult to measure because of the very fast movements of the fetus and the measurements should be taken when the fetus is fully extended which is very difficult to occur. The BPD became increasingly difficult as pregnancy advanced beyond day 95 of gestation. Out of four feti two were diagnosed as females and one as male which was confirmed at delivery.