Timing and needs of a scanning protocol

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Dairy or/and meat sheep: meat /dairy

Level of solution: practical

Aim: To schedule an ultrasound pregnancy scanning protocol and exploit the results  

Description:

• Ultrasound pregnancy scanning should be done between approximately 50-60 days of pregnancy (50-60 days after ram removal) no later than 90 days.
• It is used to detect pregnancy and to determine the number of lambs being carried (single, twins, triplet…) and the barren ewes.
  • Ewes with twins or triplets should be managed differently (better fields/grazing, housed in sheds, etc.) than single ewe.
  • Barren ewes should be tested for disease/infection and eventually culled to reduce feed requirements.
  • Alternatively, the barren ewes should have a transrectal ultrasound   echography of  the reproductive  apparatus to decide the  best therapy

Expected benefits:

• Scanning results will ensure good feeding management of the  pregnant ewes
• Scanning results will give the opportunity to control the barren ewe and to make them pregnant.
• Scanning results  improve  grassland management  
• Scanning results help the planning of lambings
•  More benefits are expected for problematic farms

Prerequisites and/or limits:

Good technician for scanning, good management, farm facilities.

Farmer/farm able to manage the animals according to the scanning results.   

Tips & tricks:

• Smartphone recording tool 
• Home-made adaptation of echograph terminal
• Portable trolley to perform ultrasound scanning
• Mobile darwer to perform ultrasound scans
• Use of technology for productivity
   

Scientific Basis:

Jones, A. K., Gately, R. E., McFadden, K. K., Zinn, S. A., Govoni, K. E., & Reed, S. A. (2016). Transabdominal ultrasound for detection of pregnancy, fetal and placental landmarks, and fetal age before Day 45 of gestation in the sheep. Theriogenology, 85(5), 939–945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.11.002

Petrujkić, B. T., Cojkić, A., Petrujkić, K., Jeremić, I., Mašulović, D., Dimitrijević, V., … Beier, R. C. (2016). Transabdominal and transrectal ultrasonography of fetuses in Württemberg ewes: Correlation with gestational age. Animal Science Journal, 87(2), 197–201. https://doi.org/10.1111/asj.12421

Scott, P. R. (2012). Applications of diagnostic ultrasonography in small ruminant reproductive management. Animal Reproduction Science, 130(3–4), 184–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2012.01.013

Fridlund, C., Humblot, P., Båge, R., & Söderquist, L. (2013). Factors affecting the accuracy of pregnancy scanning in ewes. Veterinary Record, 173(24), 606–606. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.101935

Expected impacts:

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