About Animal scan ltd

I am fully trained through Embryonics Ltd to provide a professional and careful pregnancy scanning service for both cattle and sheep.
Sheep are best scanned around 90 days after the ram or artificial insemination (AI) is first introduced. This timing allows ewes to complete three heat cycles and provides the best quality imaging. During scanning, I can also indicate which cycle the ewe likely conceived on and provide an approximate number of days in pregnancy, a service for which I’ve received positive feedback.

Pregnancy scanning in sheep is a highly valuable management tool. It allows farmers to identify which ewes are in lamb and which are dry (not pregnant), ensuring better flock management and productivity.

• Enables targeted feeding and care for pregnant ewes based on litter size.
   
• Allows early decisions on selling, rejoining, or retaining dry ewes for wool production.
   
• Improves overall flock efficiency and profitability.
   
• Supports better lambing preparation and reduces risks at birth.
   

The gestation period for sheep is approximately 147 days (about 5 months)

Cattle can typically be pregnancy scanned (using ultrasound) from around 30 days after mating or artificial insemination. Some experienced technicians can detect pregnancies as early as 28 days, but accuracy increases after 35 days.

Knowing whether a cow is pregnant is vital for managing breeding programmes and herd productivity. Early pregnancy detection allows farmers to:

• Identify empty (non-pregnant) cows quickly and rebreed them sooner.
   
• Plan calving patterns and manage feed and housing accordingly.
   
• Avoid wasting resources feeding and maintaining non-productive animals.
   
• Monitor the health of both cow and foetus during gestation.
   

• Improves overall herd fertility and profitability.
   
• Helps maintain a compact calving period, making management easier.
   
• Reduces costs associated with unproductive cows.
   

The average gestation period for cattle is approximately 283 days (about 9 months).

Goats can be scanned from around 40 to 50 days after mating. Before this time, the foetus is often too small to detect reliably.

Pregnancy scanning helps farmers:

• Confirm which does (female goats) are pregnant and which are not.
   
• Estimate foetal numbers (single or multiple kids).
   
• Adjust nutrition and care according to pregnancy status and litter size.
   
• Plan for kidding (birth) times and prepare facilities in advance.
   

• Ensures proper feeding and health management for pregnant does.
   
• Reduces kidding complications by knowing how many kids to expect.
   
• Allows more efficient use of breeding males and resources.
   

The gestation period for goats is around 150 days (about 5 months).

Pigs (sows) can typically be pregnancy scanned from around 30 days after mating. This is when the developing embryos can first be reliably detected, although some farmers may wait until about 40 days for more accurate results.

Pregnancy scanning is an essential management tool for pig farmers. It allows them to:

• Confirm pregnancy early – so that non-pregnant (or “empty”) sows can be identified and re-mated quickly, reducing the time they are unproductive.
   
• Plan farrowing (birthing) schedules – knowing which sows are pregnant helps the farmer organise farrowing accommodation, staff, and resources.
   
• Monitor reproductive performance – regular scanning helps detect fertility issues within the herd and improves overall breeding efficiency.
   
• Improve animal welfare – avoiding unnecessary feeding or housing of non-pregnant sows helps ensure each animal is managed appropriately for its condition.
   

• Increased efficiency and profitability – fewer days are lost between litters, and resources are focused on productive animals.
   
• Better record keeping – accurate data helps track sow performance and identify trends.
   
• Improved herd management – enables more predictable farrowing patterns, which supports better piglet care and reduces losses.
   

The gestation period of a pig is approximately 115 days, often remembered by the rule of thumb “three months, three weeks and three days."

Alpacas can generally be pregnancy scanned from around 30 to 60 days after mating. Transabdominal ultrasound is often used from around 60 days, when the foetus is easier to visualise.

For alpaca breeders, pregnancy confirmation helps:

• Ensure that breeding has been successful.
   
• Detect reabsorption or early loss of pregnancy.
   
• Plan birthing (cria) management and nutritional support.
   
• Avoid unnecessary re-mating attempts which can stress the female.
   

• Improves breeding efficiency and herd reproductive performance.
   
• Enables better planning for cria births and pasture management.
   
• Supports good animal welfare by reducing handling and unnecessary mating attempts.
   

The gestation period for alpacas is approximately 335 to 350 days (around 11 to 12 months)