When people think of the benefits ultrasound provides in a dairy’s reproductive management, they think of early pregnancy diagnosis. Ultrasound is in fact a great diagnostic tool for finding pregnancies early, but the true benefit to reproduction comes from identifying the open cows sooner. Skilled ultrasonographers are able to identify the fetus and heartbeat reliably as early as day 26 of gestation. At this early stage of the pregnancy, the fetus and pocket of fluid are very small and requires a more methodical scan to find the fetus or to be secure in calling the cow “open.”