comparison of two methods used for detecting pregnancy in goat

ABSTRACT

Our objective in this study was to compare the accuracy of progesterone assay and ultrasonography especially in early pregnancy, as well as to evaluate the ultrasonography for prenatal detection of fetal number in does. A total of forty five does were used in this study. Oestrus was synchronized by PGF[2] alpha and does were kept with fertile bucks. The date of service was recorded and considered as day 0 of pregnancy. Blood samples were taken from each does during days 0, 8 and 25 after mating and serum progestrone was determined by RIA. Moreover, all animals were examined transabdominally and transvaginally using real time B-mode ultrasound unit equipped with transducer of 5 and 7 MHz. Serum progesterone concentrations of pregnant and nonpregnant does at day 25 after mating was 3.48 +/- 0.91 and 0.49 +/- 0.05 ng/ml, respectively. Accuracy of progesterone assay in pregnancy diagnosis was 78.13% for pregnancy and 100% for nonpregnancy. While, accuracy of ultrasonography was 64%, at day 25 and 100% at day 42 post breeding. The number of fetuses could be dignosed by sonography at the 8[th] week of pregnancy. It could be concluded that in goats, progesterone assay at early stage of pregnancy was most accurate as a test for non-pregnancy rather than for pregnancy. While, the real-time ultrasonography was the best and more accurate method for pregnancy diagnosis specially after 4[th] week of pregnancy. It could also be concluded that, transvaginal technique was the best one of early pregnancy diagnosis, while the transabdominal one was the best for estimation of fetal number