Pig producers had a look
inside the sow’s reproductive tract and then picked up their scanner to
practice pregnancy diagnosis at a workshop in the South West.
Fran Baird from The
George Vet Group showed the group what the reproductive tract looks like,
including where semen is deposited, where eggs are released and where embryos
develop.
He highlighted some
problem areas to look out for, including the negative impact of stress on
ovulation. Fran said that 21-day returns could be caused by serving sows when
not on heat, poor semen handling or poor uterine environment. The group also
learned that failure to farrow could be caused by bad scanning technique, pseudo
pregnancy or infection.
Nigel Bennett of
Schippers then gave guidance on pregnancy scanning and trainees practiced on
their sows. Think of the scanner as a torch, he said, and shine the beam
through the area you want to scan. Producers should place the scanner on the
second teat from the back and avoid the bladder, as the bladder and foetuses
both show up as small black objects. Plus, it’s important use scanning gel with
the scanner, not water, and keep the equipment clean. Aim to scan at four weeks
to get the best picture.
Click
here for the pictures…
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