The present study was planned to use the bimanual palpation technique for palpation of internal reproductive organs, pregnancy diagnosis and assessment of approximate stages of gestation in ewes. This work was performed on 70 ewes (40 non pregnant and 30 checked for pregnancy) in addition to 87 slaughter house source ewes. The non-pregnant ewes were examined by two hand method for palpability and structural integrity of internal reproductive organs. Of the 30 ewes examined for pregnancy at 30 days post breeding, 21 of them had clear distension of the uterus while 9 did not. The results were confirmed by date of breeding and ultrasonography. The changes of the reproductive tract were monitored at 15 days intervals and the finding categorized by the stage of gestation. Ultrasonographic scanning and post-slaughter verification of pre-slaughter findings based on bimanual palpation indicate that this technique can be used for early pregnancy diagnosis, assessment of the stage of gestation as well as prediction of genital affections in ewes under field conditions. |
