Pregnancy Diagnosis Method in Small Ruminants

The method of pregnancy diagnosis in small ruminants (sheep & goat) is:

Correct Answer: Abdominal palpation

In small ruminants (sheep & goat), the standard method of pregnancy diagnosis is abdominal palpation — pressing the abdomen externally on the right flank/ventral area to feel the foetus.

Why Abdominal Palpation in Small Ruminants?

• Sheep and goats are small animals; the rectum is too narrow and fragile for per-rectal palpation (risk of rectal tear).
• Abdominal ballottement and palpation can detect foetal parts, especially from 60–90 days of pregnancy onward.
• Ultrasonography (transrectal or transabdominal) is also increasingly used in sheep and goats for early detection.

Pregnancy Diagnosis Methods by Species

• Cattle & Buffalo: Rectal palpation
• Sheep & Goat: Abdominal palpation ✔
• She-camel: Cocking of tail + rectal palpation
• Mare: Cuboni test & Aschheim-Zondek (A-Z) test

Why Other Options Are Wrong

• Rectal palpation → used in cattle/buffalo, not small ruminants (anatomy too small).
• Cuboni test → used for pregnancy diagnosis in mare (detects estrogens in urine).
• Cocking of tail → sign used in she-camel, not sheep/goat.