Early equine foetal sexing should be carried out from day 55 to 75 of pregancy using transrectal ultrasound.
You are looking out for the location of the GENITAL TUBERCLE relative to the tailhead, both femurs and the umbilicus. ⠀
The genital tubercle is the precursor of the penis in males or clitoris in females:⠀⠀
- In fillies, the tubercle migrates towards the tailhead.⠀
- In colts, the tubercle migrates towards the umbilical cord.
This techique is very reliable: ⠀
- If the examiner is experienced, early sexing can be performed in less than 2 minutes!⠀
- Reported diagnosis accuracy varies from 85% to 100%
Equine Foetal Sexing Video:
References:
Crisan MI et al. (2016). Equine Embryo Sexing and Ultrasonographic Foetal Sexing – Interests and Applicability. Anat Histol Embryol. 45: 329-337
Livini M (2010). Determination of Fetal Gender by Transrectal Ultrasound Examination: Field’s Experience. In: Proc. Am Assoc Eq Pract. 56: 323-327