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- How
accurate are these instruments on swine?
- How
long does it take to learn to operate RENCO instruments?
- After
I have become skillful, how long does it take to do
a pregnancy test?
- Do
RENCO pregnancy detectors need to be calibrated differently
for use on animals other than swine?
- Where
and how do I test ewes for pregnancy at 25-40 days
after mating?
- "Ultrasonic
Instrument" sounds delicate. Will your products
stand up in the rough environment in which I work?
- I
am a swine producer. Why should I buy these instruments?
What will they do for my business?
- "Well
why can’t I just use my good boar on a rope,
instead of spending money on a little box that buzzes?"
- Has
ultrasonic pregnancy testing been successful on cattle,
goats, and sheep?
- On
what market animals has ultrasonic backfat or loin
muscle depth measurements with RENCO products been
successful?
- A
small group of us would like to share one of your
instruments. What are your thoughts on this?
- How
do RENCO backfat products compare to the old metal
ruler method?
- I
have just found that my pregnancy detector indicates
males pregnant. Is it broken?
- I
live in the U.S.A. How do I get the products repaired?
- I
live outside of the U.S.A., how do I get my instruments
repaired?
- What
does servicing include?
- Are
there any limits as to what can be repaired?
- When
I return an instrument for repair, what else should
I include?
- If
I need to replace wear and tear parts such as probes,
probe cables, batteries, and chargers, do I need to
return the instrument also?
- How
do RENCO products use ultrasound?
- Why
is it necessary to use coupling fluid?
- Besides
insufficient coupling fluid, what are the most common
reasons for incorrect pregnancy readings?
- Why
do my backfat readings not agree with readings taken
on slaughtered animals?
- What
do I need to know about the rechargeable batteries?
- What
certifications have RENCO products earned?
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Q. |
How
accurate are these instruments on swine? |
A. |
RENCO®
pregnancy testers are 100% accurate at 30 days and 95%
at 25 days. With a properly designed testing program,
(testing every two-three days), and a skillful operator,
they can be used as early as 18 days. Accuracy is about
85% for pregnant animals after two successive positive
readings. 69% for non-pregnants. Backfat readings are
within ± 1mm from 3-30mm of fat plus skin.
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|
Q. |
How
long does it take to learn to operate RENCO
instruments? |
A. |
Not
very long! For example: Learning to do pregnancy detection
on swine (and goats) takes about 15 minutes (at 30 days
gestation) and backfat/loin about 30 minutes. To say it
another way, the average operator can be proficient after
examining at most 10 animals. Sheep take a little longer
and Cattle the longest, about 3 hours or 75 head. |
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|
Q. |
After
I have become skillful, how long does it take to do
a pregnancy test? |
A. |
Testing
at 30 days gestation takes 5-30 seconds for swine. Testing
sheep at 42 days can be done in 30-60 seconds. Cattle
require about a minute at 90 days and 3-5 minutes at 47
days. |
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|
Q. |
Do
RENCO pregnancy detectors need to be calibrated
differently for use on animals other than swine? |
A. |
YES.
The "standard" PREG-TONE® is shipped
calibrated for use with swine. For use on other animals,
the instrument must be set differently. Therefore, when
you purchase the instrument it is imperative that
you specify its intended use if for other than swine.
Also, if you have a standard instrument that you now intend
to use on a different animal, you must return it either
to us or a service center for recalibration. It
cannot do cattle at the early detection site. The
operator can easily set the SONO-GRADER®
for other animals. The PREG-ALERT® does
not require different calibrations, but the indication
of pregnancy will occur at different places on the screen
and the operator will need to recognize those.
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|
Q. |
Where
and how do I test ewes for pregnancy
at 25-40 days after mating? |
A. |
The
following is an update to information appearing in much
of our literature and should be substituted for it.
Give
no water for 8-12 hours prior, and try to have her urinate
before testing. Sit the ewe on her tail. The test sites
are up to 7cm (3 in.) outside the right and left teat
lines, and in a straight line projected from the last
rib—usually by the last teat. Start by working
on the right side and try the left side if not successful.
Remove hair from test site. Use plenty of coupling fluid
and be sure to express all air bubbles
by pushing in and moving it around. Aim the probe straight
in, i.e. not at a 45° across the body
as with swine, and do not allow probe to scan
the bladder. To scan, slightly tilt and rock the probe
around its axis. (You cannot detect pregnancy at this
stage in a standing animal.) |
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|
Q. |
"Ultrasonic
Instrument" sounds delicate. Will your products
stand up in the rough environment in which I work? |
A. |
RENCO
products are known for their durability. For over 30 years
they have proven themselves able to withstand the adversities
of a farm environment. Many of our instruments have been
in service over 20 years. (Though we do not recommend
such a test, the Preg-Tone has even withstood a barn fire!)
Of course to assure long trouble free service, these instruments
should be kept clean and not be subjected to abuse. |
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|
Q. |
I
am a swine producer. Why should I buy these instruments?
What will they do for my business? |
A. |
By
detecting open sows early in the gestation period, you
will be able to save feed and additive costs as well as
the expense of vaccinations and special care normally
given to pregnant sows. Early detection of pregnant sows
will allow you to place them on your gestation program
without delay. Early pregnancy detection is the way for
you to increase your overall efficiency and lower your
costs of doing business. |
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|
Q. |
"Well
why can’t I just use my good boar on a rope,
instead of spending money on a little box that buzzes?" |
A. |
This
good question was asked by a Danish swine producer in
the early 80’s in regard to the purchase of a RENCO
PREG-TONE. The answer is that swine do not have
a strong drive to breed and the boar may not react to
estrus pheromones, which can result in a significant number
of unbred sows. The conception rate for swine averages
in the mid-80’s to mid-90’s. Ultrasonic early
pregnancy detection provides a low cost way to mitigate
the effect of this situation and to reduce nonproductive
sow days. This results in higher efficiency, lower costs,
and greater profits. (The Danish producer did purchase
the instrument and has been happy with it ever since.
The RENCO PREG-TONE has been awarded the
distinction of being recommended as the instrument of
choice by the Danish national swine organization.) |
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|
Q. |
Has
ultrasonic pregnancy testing been successful
on cattle, goats, and sheep? |
A. |
Yes,
and also on pygmy goats, horses, dogs, foxes, and porpoise.
We believe that it could also be successfully done with
seals. |
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|
Q. |
On
what market animals has ultrasonic backfat or loin
muscle depth measurements with RENCO products
been successful? |
A. |
Swine,
cattle, and sheep. Ultrasonic breast depth testing has
been used on turkeys and chickens. Fat pad depth measurement
can be made on ostrich and emu. Though not market animals,
blubber depth measurements have been made on the Harbour
Porpoise, and we believe on seals. |
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|
Q. |
A
small group of us would like to share one of your
instruments. What are your thoughts on this? |
A. |
We
strongly recommend against sharing because of the greatly
increased possibility of disease transmission. Ideally,
nothing coming in direct contact with one herd should
come in contact with another. Good cold sterilization
would seem to be a solution, but over time there will
be instances where sterilization is not complete. Besides
the probe and the cable, the instrument itself
can become contaminated. |
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|
Q. |
How
do RENCO backfat products compare to the old
metal ruler method? |
A. |
They
are inherently superior to the metal ruler method because
they do not compress or distort the tissue. Because they
are noninvasive, the potential for infection is greatly
reduced. |
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|
Q. |
I
have just found that my pregnancy detector indicates
males pregnant. Is it broken? |
A. |
This
question has been asked a surprising number of times.
Trust us when we say that testing males for pregnancy
is an exercise in futility, don’t do it. Males seemingly
test pregnant because you have aimed the probe at the
bladder that contains urine. To the instrument, this is
the same as a uterus containing amniotic fluid. |
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Q. |
I
live in the U.S.A. How do I get the products repaired? |
A. |
For
warranty and other repair, just send the product by a
traceable mode, prepaid to the factory at the address
shown on our literature and home page. No RMA (Return
Merchandise Authorization) or prior notification is necessary.
Turnaround time usually runs about 3 business days. We
make a reasonable attempt to reach you, but if you have
not heard from us within 10 days after shipping, you should
contact us. The information below is essential.
1)
Your name and shipping address. Products are normally
returned to you at your expense by UPS Ground. UPS
does not deliver to P.O. Boxes. We need a street address
or Rural Route number. Other methods are available
at additional cost.
2)
Phone number where we can reach you between the weekday
hours of 8:30am to 4:00pm, U.S. Central Time, or a
fax number, or an email address.
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Q. |
I
live outside of the U.S.A., how do I get my instruments
repaired? |
A. |
You
should contact your dealer, a number of whom maintain
service facilities. However, we will repair our current
products when returned to us from anywhere in the world.
Insurance is recommended. Be sure to include your postal
address and fax number where we can reach you. Shipments
must be sent to us prepaid including brokerage
charges on our end. NOTE: We will not accept
any shipment where charges are due. We strongly recommend
using Postal Union Mail or Air Parcel Post, since there
will be no brokerage charges and it is usually the most
economical. Invoices and other forms must include the
statement (without the quotes), "Defective merchandise
being returned to country of origin for repair and return
to owner." Description of merchandise must include
the statement (without the quotes), "Electronic
equipment for animal use." |
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|
Q. |
What
does servicing include? |
A. |
In
addition to repairing whatever problems we find, all instruments
are calibrated and tested. Instruments
are often returned to us in extremely dirty and contaminated
condition. If you request it, we will restore the appearance
of the instrument for an additional charge.
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|
Q. |
Are
there any limits as to what can be repaired? |
A. |
We
do not promise to repair old versions of products for
which parts are no longer available. Note: All products
age, and with age may come a reduction in accuracy and
reliability. We recommend that products be returned to
us for calibration and testing at least once every three-years,
oftener in cases where the instrument has been subjected
to very rough handling. |
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|
Q. |
When
I return an instrument for repair, what else should
I include? |
A. |
For
those units having a separate charger, probe, and probe
cable, please include them. |
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|
Q. |
If
I need to replace wear and tear parts such as probes,
probe cables, batteries, and chargers, do I need to return
the instrument also? |
A. |
For
the PREG-ALERT® all of these
parts can be replaced without sending the instrument to
us. For all other products, all parts but the probe can
be ordered without sending the entire product to us. (Probe
replacement requires calibration.) |
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|
Q. |
How
do RENCO products use ultrasound? |
A. |
These
products are electronic rulers which measure the time
it takes for ultrasonic pulses to go and return from various
internal structures and converts this time into equivalent
units of distance. Pregnancy is determined by the presence
of amniotic fluid. Backfat and loin thickness are determined
by the location of the tissues separating them. (For technical
details, see the Technical FAQ.) |
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|
Q. |
Why
is it necessary to use coupling fluid? |
A. |
Ultrasound
must be transmitted through fluids or solids. Air inhibits
transmission of ultrasound. The purpose of coupling
fluid is to eliminate air between the transducer face
and skin. The lack of a sufficient quantity of coupling
fluid is by far the most common cause of problems reported
to us. The fluid can be water, but it is better
to use a somewhat heavier bodied material that will stay
in place longer, such as ordinary cooking oil, glycerin,
or mineral oil. NOTE: Avoid fluids that are acidic,
alkaline, or that might contain additives with unknown
properties, e.g. motor oil, as these may cause allergic
reactions. There are commercial pH-neutral gels and
creams that are specifically designed for use as ultrasonic
coupling fluids, but these are costly and usually do not
provide any significant advantage. There are also commercial
wetting agents available, but for most situations these
are not needed. The ability of the fluid to wet the skin
is very important. This can be difficult when working
with thick dry skin. When this condition is encountered,
sometimes water can be used to wet the area and then oil
applied over it, or a commercial wetting agent can be
tried. Body hair is generally not a problem provided that
enough coupling fluid is used to displace trapped air
bubbles. |
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|
Q. |
Besides
insufficient coupling fluid, what are the most common
reasons for incorrect pregnancy readings? |
A. |
Pointing
the probe at a urine-filled bladder will produce an erroneous
result, because the instrument detects it in exactly the
same way as it detects amniotic fluid in the uterus. Be
sure the probe is not pointed in the direction of the
bladder. Though not necessary in most cases, it may be
helpful to have the animal urinate prior to the test.
Errors in detection may also, result from pathologies
that cause fluid to accumulate in the tissues. |
Q. |
Why
do my backfat readings not agree with readings taken
on slaughtered animals? |
|
The
tension in fat is relieved in slaughtered animals causing
it to expand, adding on average about 1.3mm to the depth
reading. |
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|
Q. |
What
do I need to know about the rechargeable batteries? |
A. |
Some
RENCO products use Nickel-Cadmium "NiCad"
rechargeable batteries. These batteries will typically
last 3-5 years, according to the intensity of use. A RENCO
approved charger must be used to recharge them. Instruments
should not remain connected to charger for extended periods.
A battery that does not appear to hold a charge, can sometimes
be revived by being fully charged (24-hours), then fully
discharged for three consecutive cycles. Note: NiCad
batteries should not remain in a fully discharged
condition for extended periods. In such cases, it is possible
that polarity reversal may occur, which will destroy the
battery. Be sure to properly dispose of old batteries
according to the laws of your area. HAZARDOUS
MATERIAL WARNING! NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE BATTERIES MUST
NOT BE USED IN RENCO PRODUCTS. DOING SO WILL VERY LIKELY
LEAD TO AN EXPLOSION. |
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|
Q. |
What
certifications have RENCO products earned? |
A. |
All
products have been certified under the applicable standards
of the European Community EMC Directive. Those requiring
U.S. FCC certification conform to Part 15 as Class A devices.
Note: Our products are for use with animals.
They are not licensed for human use and we strongly caution
against using them on human beings. |
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