Ultrasonic determination of fetal gender in horses and cattle under farm conditions.
Abstract: Accuracy of transrectal ultrasonic diagnosis of fetal gender by identifying and locating the genital tubercle was assessed in 85 horses and 102 dairy heifers and cows. Examinations were made once (horses and cattle) under farm conditions (cattle) on approximately Days 50 to 100. Definite diagnosis was made by removal of fetuses (horses) or after calving or abortion (cattle). In both species and both parities, accuracy was 100% (109 109 totaled over both species) when the certainty level recorded at the time of examination was 95 or 99%. At the lower levels of certainty (65 to 80%, 85 to 90%), the accuracy was 89% (57 64 totaled over both species). A diagnosis was not obtainable in 10 horses (12%) and 5 cattle (5%); this was especially due to inadequate viewing of the fetus when the fetus was beyond Day 64. The time from completion of evacuation of the rectum to diagnosis of gender averaged 1 minute 17 seconds in horses (range, 15 seconds to 3 minutes 55 seconds). The corresponding figure in cattle was 1 minute 53 seconds (range, 16 seconds to 8 minutes 30 seconds).
Publication Date: 1991-11-01 PubMed ID: 16727049DOI: 10.1016/0093-691x(91)90346-fGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research aimed to test the accuracy of using transrectal ultrasonic diagnosis to identify the sex of horse and cattle fetuses on approximately days 50 to 100 of pregnancy under farm conditions. They found that the method was highly accurate when the certainty level was 95 or 99%.
Methodology and Sample
- The research involved horses and dairy cattle, specifically 85 horses and 102 heifers and cows. People working under farm conditions conducted the tests.
- The researchers performed the examinations once during the period of approximately 50 to 100 days into the pregnancy. They determined the definite diagnosis by either removing fetuses from horses or following calving or abortion in cattle.
Findings
- When the certainty level recorded at the examination time was either 95% or 99%, the accuracy of identifying the fetal sex was 100% for both horses and cattle (totaling 109 over both species).
- At lower certainty levels, ranging from 65-80% and 85-90%, the accuracy rate fell to 89% (57 out of 64 totaled over both species).
- In 12% of the horse subjects (10 individuals) and 5% of cattle subjects (5 individuals), the researchers were unable to make a diagnosis. Mostly, this issue arose when the fetus was beyond Day 64, complicating adequate visual identification.
Time Required for Diagnosis
- The average time to identify fetal gender from the completion of rectum evacuation was around 1 minute and 17 seconds in horses. The duration ranged from as short as 15 seconds to as long as about 4 minutes.
- The average time in cattle was slightly longer than in horses, at about 1 minute and 53 seconds, ranging from 16 seconds to 8 minutes and 30 seconds. The reason for the longer average time for diagnosis of gender in cattle is not specified, but it could be related to physiological differences between these two species.
Conclusion
- This research suggests that transrectal ultrasonic diagnosis is an effective tool for identifying fetal sex in horses and cattle under farm conditions, especially when the level of certainty at the time of the examination is high.
- The researchers were unable to determine the sex in some cases, especially after Day 64, indicating a potential limitation of this technique.
Cite This Article
APA
Curran S, Ginther OJ.
(1991).
Ultrasonic determination of fetal gender in horses and cattle under farm conditions.
Theriogenology, 36(5), 809-814.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0093-691x(91)90346-f Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Science 1655 Linden Drive University of Wisconsin, Madison Madison, WI 53706 USA.
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Tsikolia N, Sakurai M, Spanel-Borowski K, Ricken AM. Similar developmental patterns in immunolocalisation of stem cell factor and KIT in bovine meso- and metanephros. Histochem Cell Biol 2010 Apr;133(4):417-24.
- Tsikolia N, Merkwitz C, Sass K, Sakurai M, Spanel-Borowski K, Ricken AM. Characterization of bovine fetal Leydig cells by KIT expression. Histochem Cell Biol 2009 Dec;132(6):623-32.
- Rajamahendran R, Ambrose DJ, Burton B. Clinical and research applications of real-time ultrasonography in bovine reproduction: a review. Can Vet J 1994 Sep;35(9):563-72.
- Ali A, Derar DR, Alaeyeari AA, Alharbi YM. Fetometry in Arabian horses. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1689769.
- Kim D, Son M, Jung D, Heo S, Kim M, Yi J. Economic Impacts of Ultrasonographic Fetal Sex Determination on Hanwoo Cattle Profitability and Market Dynamics. Vet Sci 2025 Feb 27;12(3).
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