We routinely use ultrasound for bovine pregnancy diagnosis. This is accomplished with a rectal probe on a linear plastic wand that when inserted, displays an image of the uterus. This image can be visualized with special goggles we wear that allows us to walk up and down catwalk facilities or by a monitor that looks like a television screen that we attach to the chute. We can detect pregnancies at 30 days gestation with ultrasound and see fetal structures like the heart, body, head and eyes. These structures can be measured to help determine the age of the fetus between 30 and 120 days gestation.
