A3o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 9,1980
Q Ask the
VMD
•**V
V‘
Leon Riegel
Sounds pregnant to me!
A reader asks:
Could you tell me about the
new method of sonar
pregnancy checking sows?
Are there any harmful side
effects? Who is using this
method and bow is it
available to the hog farmer?
Dr. Trayer comments:
Sonar pregnancy checking
of swine is a relatively new
method of insuring that a
sow is pregnant It has been
used to a limited degree in
the past several years, but
has recently gained in
popularity for a number of
reasons.
The drastic reduction in
the cost of the equipment has
encouraged the use of sonar
checking of sows by hog
farmers. Not only is the
equipment less expensive, it
is also built better to last
longer.
In recent years, the ac
curacy of the test has been
improved, giving farmers
more reliable results.
And, probably the most
important reason that sonar
checks have become more
common in the hog business
is the higher cost of feed,
which spells dollars to any
farmer feeding open sows.
How does the sonar
method work’ A device that
Survey to update
farm production costs
HARRISBURG - U.S.
farmers spent $ll4 billion to
raise crops, poultry and
livestock, a 14 percent jump
from the $lOO billion outlay
of 1977, according to
estimates by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
State Agriculture
Secretary Penrose Hallowell
said enumerators from the
Pennsylvania Crop
Reporting Service will be
contacting a cross-section of
farmers during February
and March m efforts to
determine 1979 farm
production costs.
Hallowell said the
production expenditure
information gathered in this
survey is a key factor in
determining net farm in
come, establishing the
farmers’ position m the
ASSOCIATION Of^
DIESEL SPECIALISTS
Diesel fuel injection and turbo
charger specialists.
Locally owned and operated
with over 22 years in business.
Authorized Sales & Service For:
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• Robert Bosch • Simms
• Roosa Master • RotoMaster
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We Also Service:
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• Blowers, governors etc. • Bacharach Tools
Daily shipments by UPS, Parcel Post, or our
representative who is in area regularly
looks like a small portable
television makes up the
largest part of the sonar
machine. All told, it only
weighs about ten pounds.
The box has a screen
which produces a visual line
of peaks. The way the peaks
appear on the screen tells if
the sow is pregnant.
Attached to the screen is a
small transducer, about the
size of a stethoscope. This
transducer emits inaudible
sound waves which are used
to measure the amnionic
fluid density of the sow.
The transducer is placed
on the stomach of the sow
and the sound waves are
directed toward the middle
of her back.
If the sow is pregnant,
there is a difference m the
time it takes the sound
waves to bounce back from
the sow. This difference
shows up on the screen as a
specifically located peak.
In a non-pregnant sow,
there would be no amnionic
fluid density, and therefore
no delay.
The sonar tests are usually
done between day 30 and 40
of the sow’s gestation, and
then again between day 60
and 70. Domg the test before
30 days or after 70 days
results in less accuracy
national and state economy,
and computing other
economic indexes.
All responses to the in
terviews will remain con
fidential. Only regional and
national summaries will be
published. Further in
formation is available by
calling Wally Evans at the
Pennsylvania Crop
Reporting Service at 717/787-
3904.
Imagine This
If you are an average
pickle eating American,
you're going to eat nine
pounds of pickles this
year It is estimated that
23 billion pickles will be
consumed in this country
during the coming year
MILLER DIESEL INC.
6030 Jonestown Rd.
Harrisburg, Pa. 17112
717-545-5931
Interstate 81 Exit 26
Tim T rayer Edgar Sheaffer
because of the change in the
quantity of amnionic fluids
due to fetus size.
The reason for doing the
test the second tune, even
after a positive test at 30
days, is because of the risk of
reabsorption, abortion, or
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false positives. With the
second sonar check, a far
mer can be 95 per cent sure
the sow is pregnant.
There is no special
equipment needed to per
form the sonar pregnancy
check, other than the
machine itself. The test can
be done in a regular stall;
and if the sow is quiet, it can
be done even while she is
standing.
It has been found that on
the average, ten per cent of
the sows serviced do not
conceive. Looking at the cost
of feed per day running from
35 to 50 cents, a farmer can
invest $3O to $4O on feed
■ »
i *
before the sow is found to be
open.
Based on these costs, a
farmer who raises 300 Utters
per year could pay off a
sonar pregnancy testing
machine m about two years.
To date, I am not aware of
any reports of bad side ef
fects which would prove
harmful to the sow or the
Utter because of using the
sonar test.
This method is being used
primarily by farmers with
100 sows or more in large
farrowing operations. The
equipment can be purchased
from several national swine
equipment manufacturers,
if ft£ (Cardinal
CARDINAL MECHANIZATION CONTRACTOR
and may be available from
local feed companies who
provide this service for theirf®
customers.
Sonar pregnancy equip
ment is an added bonus that
should become basic
management tools for the
large hog operations. It also
has a place on the smaller
hog farm when it is readily
available from a local feed
dealer, veterinarian, or
neighboring farmer.
If your have a question you
would like to have answered
by the team of doctors at
Valley Animal Hospital,
send it to Ask the VMD, Box
3U, Lititz, PA 17543.
The CARDINAL LINE
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