Fetal morphology analysis and real-time ultrasound techniques were used on 13 pregnant Saanen goats for studying the gestational characteristics. Analysis began on the 60th day of pregnancy and the parameters observed were: orbital diameter (OD), inter-orbiall diameter (IOD), bi-orbital diameter (BOD), bi-parietal diameter (BPD), femoral length (FL), tibial length (LT), radius length (RL), thoracic diameter (TD), transversal abdominal diameter (TAD), anteroposterior abdominal diameter (APAD), occipital-frontal diameter (OFD), transversal renal diameter (TRD), longitudinal renal diameter (LRD), scapular length (SL), metacarpal length (ML), pelvic length (PL) and humeral length (HL). Mean values were correlated to fetal age and inverse regression equations were created for each parameter. Results obtained showed BPD (R²=0.93), FL (R²=0.95), HL (R²=0.96), OD (R²= 0.84) and TAD (R²= 0.91) as the parameters with better statistical correlation to fetal age using the equation: Fetal age = 34.5 + 4.8BPD + 9.9 FL - 7.5 HL - 2.3 OD + 6.1 TAD.
goats; ultrasound; pregnancy; fetometry
