Can a Cattle Ultrasound Work for Detecting Pregnancy in Sows If You Switch the Probe?

You may have heard that some farmers try to use cattle ultrasound machines with a different probe to check if their sows are pregnant. Sometimes it works, but in other cases, it doesn’t work at all. The reason behind this inconsistency lies mostly in the equipment’s settings and how the device is designed. So today, let’s dive into why that happens.

Different Parameters Can Make the Machines Incompatible

Some ultrasound machines are designed specifically for cattle and aren’t suitable for pigs. That’s because pigs and cows have very different anatomical structures—especially in terms of uterus location and abdominal thickness. Cattle ultrasound probes are usually built to match the size and body composition of cows. For example, cows tend to have a thicker fat layer in the abdomen, so a lower-frequency probe is needed to penetrate deeply enough. On the other hand, sows have a thinner abdominal wall, so a higher-frequency probe provides clearer imaging of embryos.

If you simply swap a cattle probe onto the ultrasound machine and use it on a pig, the image might turn out blurry or imprecise, and in some cases, it could lead to misdiagnosis of pregnancy.

Ultrasound Machines for Both Cattle and Pigs — “Body Type Switching” Is Key

Some cattle ultrasound machines can be used on pigs, but only if they support a feature called “animal body type switching.” Certain models—such as the BXL-V50—come with preset templates for different animals. When you switch the mode to “pig,” the machine automatically adjusts the imaging algorithms and measurement parameters to match the physiological characteristics of sows. It’s a bit like switching your phone’s camera mode from “landscape” to “portrait”—it tailors the device to the task.

Tips for Using It Correctly

Even if your machine supports multiple species, your scanning technique still needs to change depending on the animal. For sows, you usually place the probe near the last 1–2 pairs of teats on the side of the abdomen, then tilt it at a 45-degree angle toward the spine to locate the uterus. That’s quite different from scanning a cow, where the probe is inserted rectally to reach the uterus.

Also, the best time to check pregnancy in sows is around 20 days after mating. By then, the embryos are big enough to be picked up more easily. Make sure the probe is clean before scanning—especially if you’re using a mechanical probe, check regularly for air bubbles that could blur the image.

Final Thoughts

So, can a cattle ultrasound be used for sows? It depends on whether the device’s settings and parameters are compatible, and whether it supports body type switching. If your machine checks all the right boxes, changing the probe could indeed save you the cost of buying a separate unit. But if the specs don’t match, forcing it to work could lead to incorrect results or wasted time. When in doubt, check the user manual or contact the manufacturer—don’t just take someone’s word for it that “it should work.”