In some cases, value based marketing systems have economic advantages for cattle breeders. Producing high-quality and stable final products that meet consumer needs can sometimes earn monetary rewards. One tool that can help producers efficiently and profitably produce beef cattle is live animal carcass ultrasound. This enables cattle breeders to genetically improve the carcass traits of cattle, thereby increasing their profits.

Beef Backfat eye muscle Testing for Beef Meat Quality

The principle of using a beef backfat eye muscle tester to detect beef meat quality

The ultrasound technology used to measure carcass characteristics is called bovine B-ultrasound, which uses high-frequency sound waves (usually 2 to 10MHz) to display images of subcutaneous muscles and fat in live animals, similar to the technology applied to livestock and human pregnancy diagnosis. The entire process is safe for both animals and technicians, and there is no need to worry about any harm.

During the detection process, a sound wave probe or transducer is placed on the back of the animal, and the sound waves penetrate the tissue and reflect at the boundaries between the skin, fat, and muscle layers. When these sound waves reflect back to the probe, a cross-sectional image will be formed on the display of the ultrasonic machine, allowing for the measurement of various body features.

Ultrasound image of beef cattle Eye muscle area size

Collected B-ultrasound measurement data

The data collected through live animal carcass ultrasound can be used to estimate the retail yield and meat quality of the carcass. Common estimated features include rib eye area (REA), rib fat (BF), hip fat (RF), and intramuscular fat percentage (IMF%). The rib eye area is measured in square inches and is the area between the 12th and 13th ribs, used to estimate the muscle and lean meat mass of animals. Rib fat (backfat thickness) is also measured between the 12th and 13th ribs, estimating the amount of external fat in the animal. Hip fat is another measure of external fat in animals, also measured in inches. The percentage of intramuscular fat is an objective indicator for measuring the marbling pattern in beef, which is a key factor determining the quality level of the US Department of Agriculture and an important indicator for measuring meat quality.

Measurement of carcass traits in beef cattle

Carcass characteristics can be measured during harvesting or by using ultrasound on live animals. Many varieties report expected offspring differences (EPD) in carcass traits through a combination of one or more measurement methods. These measurement methods can evaluate the expected performance of animal offspring, and the calculation of expected offspring differences (EPD) varies slightly among different breeds. Most varieties use a constant age endpoint to record carcass data, while some varieties use a constant fat endpoint. For example, some breeds will scan bulls during weight gain testing and update mid-term expected offspring differences (EPD).

The specific expected offspring differences (EPD) of the carcass are described as follows:

-Carcass weight (CW): Predicts the difference in hot carcass weight between offspring of animals and offspring of other animals of the same breed, measured in pounds. The larger the expected offspring difference (EPD) value, the heavier the carcass weight of the calf.

-Marble pattern: Refers to the difference in USDA score between offspring of animals and offspring of other animals of the same species. The larger the value, the higher the quality of the offspring's body and the more suitable it is for grid marketing.

-Rib eye area (RE): Predicts the difference in rib eye area between offspring of animals and offspring of other animals of the same species, measured in square inches. A larger value usually indicates a larger rib eye area in the offspring.

-Fat thickness (Fat): Predicts the difference in external fat thickness between the 12th rib of animal offspring and offspring of other animals of the same breed, measured in inches. Choosing animals with less fat can reduce the amount of trimming required during slaughter, thereby increasing the yield grade and overall value of the animals. However, animals with low fat content may experience cold shrinkage during refrigeration, which can affect their meat quality.

-POPUlation/Offspring (Grp/Pg): Reflects the contemporary population and number of carcasses included in the analysis of expected differences in offspring (EPD) values.

-Production grade: measures the proportion of boneless retail cuts that have been trimmed in animal offspring.

-Retail Cut Percentage: measures the percentage of boneless retail cuts that have been trimmed in animal offspring.

-Completion days: measures the number of days required to reach a constant fat endpoint. A larger expected offspring difference (EPD) value typically means that offspring need longer time to reach the desired fat thickness.

Ultrasound Expected Descendants Difference (EPD) Description

-Intramuscular fat (% IMF): It can predict the difference in the percentage of intramuscular fat in the rib eye muscle between offspring of animals and offspring of other animals of the same breed.

-Rib eye area (RE): It can predict the difference in rib eye area measured by ultrasound between offspring of animals and offspring of other animals of the same breed.

-Fat thickness (Fat): Predicts the difference in ultrasound fat thickness of the 12th rib in animal offspring compared to offspring of other animals of the same breed, measured in inches. Some varieties calculate this value by weighted average of rib fat measurement (60%) and hip fat measurement (40%).

-Group/Offspring (Grp/Pg): Refers to the number of contemporary groups and offspring considered in the Expected Offspring Difference (EPD) analysis.

Ultrasonic technology has played an important role in the cattle industry, especially in improving the efficiency and accuracy of selecting beef carcass characteristics. Through scientific measurement and reasonable genetic improvement plans, cattle breeders can improve meat quality and market value while maintaining the health and productivity of their herds. This value based marketing system enables cattle breeders to more accurately meet market demand, thereby obtaining economic returns. However, in practical operation, breeders should choose carefully to ensure that while pursuing improvements in carcass traits, they do not overlook other important production traits, thereby maintaining the overall balance and sustainable development of the herd.

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