Comparative Analysis of Pregnancy Diagnosis in Garut Ewe Using Transrectal and Transabdominal Ultrasonography Imaging

Abstract

Early and accurate pregnancy diagnosis is crucial for effective sheep production. This study compared transrectal (TRUS) and transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) for pregnancy diagnosis in 80 Garut ewes, that underwent both ultrasound methods. Overall pregnancy rate was 83.75%, distributed across early (28.4%), mid (35.8%), and late (35.8%) trimesters. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Kappa statistic were used to assess fetal structure visibility and method agreement. Overall, TRUS achieved 100% success rates throughout all stages, while TAUS showed 10.5% rates in early pregnancy, increasing to 83.3% in mid and 95.8% in late stages. Statistical analysis (p=0.000) showed TAUS was ineffective in early stage, but there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in mid and late stages, indicating both methods could be used. Agreement between TRUS and TAUS for fetal parameters was low to moderate, with no strong agreement, indicating variability in diagnosis. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed for definitive conclusions.