ULTRASONOGRAPHY OF DAY-OLD CHICKS
Attempts were made to visualize the gonads of newly hatched chicks by transcutaneous
ultrasound (Kaleta et al., 1994). Neither the dorso-ventral nor latero-lateral position of the
chicks allowed recognition of the gonads. The delicate, small structure of the testes and
the ovaries, combined with the almost complete absence of differences in tissue density /
reflection of the ultrasonic beam prevent visualisation of the gonads. Trans-intestinal
ultrasonography was also applied to commercial poultry. However, this laborious method
is not suitable for mass application and did not gain wide application due to the risk of
cross-contamination.