How to Use Swine Ultrasound Machine?

The use of swine ultrasound machine in pig farms is mainly to diagnose the early pregnancy of sows, thereby reducing the cost of the farm. This article shows you how to use ultrasound for pigs.

The use of swine ultrasound machine in pig farms is mainly to diagnose the early pregnancy of sows, thereby reducing the cost of the farm. In the case of non-pregnant sows, early detection can reduce the number of non-productive days, thereby saving the farm’s feeding costs and improving efficiency. Most of the ultrasound machines these days are portable and can be used 23-24 days after artificial insemination, which is very convenient.
How to use swine ultrasound machine?
1. First of all, the time of pregnancy diagnosis should be selected. Generally, it is basically impossible to diagnose by swine ultrasound machine before 20 days after breeding, because the embryo is too small to be observed. Embryos in the uterus can be clearly observed within 20-30 days, with an accuracy rate of 95%.
2. Secondly, the diagnosis of pregnancy should be determined. The uterus is small in the early stage of pregnancy. Generally, the diagnosis position can be found on the outside of the penultimate 2-3 pair of nipples. Some multiparous sows may need to move forward a little.
3. When diagnosing pregnancy, the skin must be cleaned. You can apply a coupling agent on the skin or not, and you can use vegetable oil directly. After the probe touches the correct position during operation, you can swing the probe left and right back and forth without changing the contact position between the probe and the skin to find the embryo and adjust the position appropriately.
4. When diagnosing pregnancy, you must look at both sides to improve the accuracy.

How to see the image of pig pregnancy test with swine ultrasound machine
1. Early pregnancy monitoring can be carried out 18 days after breeding, and the judgment accuracy of pregnancy monitoring between 20 and 30 days can reach 100%. If the sow is pregnant, the swine ultrasound machine image will display black spots, and the ratio of amniotic fluid is high during this time period, and the black spots formed are also easy to identify and judge.
2. If the bladder is detected, it is characterized by being relatively large, and it is possible to start to occupy half of the area above the ultrasound for pigs. And only one dark spot. If a bladder is detected, move the probe slightly in front of the pig.
3. If it is uterine inflammation, there are abscesses in it, which are small black spots. The area seen in the image is more mottled, one black and one white.
4. If it is uterine hydrops, the picture is also a black spot, but it has a feature that its uterine wall is very thin, because there is no physiological change, so the uterine wall is very different.
Precautions of the use of ultrasound for pigs
1. Real-time ultrasound accuracy for pregnancy diagnosis is based on the ability to visualize clear, multiple fluid-filled pouches in the uterus, maximal between days 24 and 35 of pregnancy.

Real-time ultrasound images of the fetus at 35-40 days

2. Sows confirmed as pregnant between 24 and 35 days do not need to be re-examined before farrowing.
3. If animals are determined to be open on day 24, they should be re-examined a few days later to confirm the diagnosis, and then to determine if they are culled or re-bred in the next estrus.
4. Avoid pregnancy tests between 38 and 50 days due to decreased body fluids, fetal growth and calcification. If the female is checked and determined to be open during this period, check again after 50 days before culling.