When women suspect they are pregnant, the first thing that comes to their mind is to go for a check-up to establish whether they are actually pregnant or suffering from something else like fibroids.
This is the same case in cattle; these too need to be checked by the veterinary doctors to establish their status.
Just like humans, a cow may appear pregnant when actually it is not and the only way to determine this, is by using an ultrasound machine.
This may sound strange, but animals too have their own ultrasound machine, according to officers from the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC & DB).
Many farmers use their hands to detect if animals are ready or are pregnant, but this is only possible for experienced farmers. That is why there is need for a farmer to hire the services of an ultrasound machine, which must be used by a qualified veterinary doctor for the safety of internal organs of an animal and the foetus.
This machine helps a farmer to find out the pregnancy status of the animal within 45 to 60 days of inception.
Experts say the machine comes with various parts, including a transducer, which has a pipe and is fixed into the abdomen of an animal.
Inside the animal, the machine is in position to produce sound waves that travel down to the body and looks out for the foetus depending on the interest of the farmer.
When there are tissues in the stomach, they are seen by the machine through a screen, but if there is a foetus of an abornality, the waves are using the fluid in the area of interest is able to form a wave which later forms a picture.
This picture can easily be interpreted by a veterinary doctor or an experience person using the machine to determine. Forexample, if the animal has a reproductive tract infection calling for treatment.
Why farmers should use this machine
Using hands may not give actual results because proficiency comes along with time therefore the this for beginners may give wrong results unlike the ultrasound machine where one will be 100% sure of the results.
It not only checks for pregnancy, but helps check abnormalities in the animals’ reproductive health system which may be preventing the animal from conceiving.
In case of tract infections, the farmer is then advised to treat their animal and if there are abnormalities in the ovaries the farmer is saved from the cost of feeding the animals without results.
It also detects abnormalities in the reproductive system like cysts. If the challenge is with ovaries, appropriate hormonal treatment is used to get rid of the cysts.
How farmers can get the service
Farmers interested in acquiring this machine should be qualified vets who fully understand it. If they cannot handle the machine, it is best for them to hire the services of a qualified vet who can ably use the machine on their animals
Costs depend on individual vets, but also on the number of animals one would like to examine.
