USING REAL-TIME ULTRASOUND

How does real-time ultrasound work?
High frequency sound waves are used on live animals to "see inside". A sound-emitting probe is held on the animal's back and it bounces sound waves off the boundaries between fat and muscle layers. The cross-sectional image made by the reflected sound is displayed on the video screen immediately.
 
Why use real-time ultrasound?
RTU gives a fast and objective prediction on the carcass composition of your beef cattle. This can assist you in genetic selection and the breeding of your cow herd, and meet market specifications.
 
What are some benefits for using RTU?
In live beef animals it can give an objective prediction of carcass lean and fat.
Progeny testing for carcass merit is not necessary (saving money and time) with the information you receive on body composition.
Trained evaluators subjectively determine differences in fat cover and muscling on live cattle. Ultrasound provides an objective measure of Percent Intramuscular Fat (marbling).
It evaluates the PIMF from the ribeye to determine USDA quality grading (marbling).
 
How accurate is RTU?
Ribeye area: Certified technicians can measure ribeye area within .6-.7 square inches of the actual ribeye area.
 
12-13th rib fat thickness and rump fat thickness: Certified technicians can measure fat thickness to within .04-.05 inches of the actual fat thickness using real-time ultrasound.
 
Percent intramuscular fat: Certified technicians can measure PIMF to within .8-.9% of the actual amount of percent intramuscular fat.
 

GLOSSARY
 

Marlbling: is measured as a percent intramuscular fat. Beef carcasses are traded on the amount of intramuscular fat (marbling) they contain at the 12-13th ribs. Real-time ultrasound has the capability to predict the actual percent fat in the ribeye muscle which is what the USDA grader is primarily trying to visually evaluate. Heritability for marbling is in the moderate range, approximately 35%.
 
Percent intramuscular fat: an objective measurement of marbling in live cattle. PIMF is highly correlated with USDA grader's visual evaluation of marbling in a carcass.
 
Ribeye area: a measure of muscle in the carcass, (measured in square inches). Ribeye area is highly correlated with retail product. The ribeye area trait is moderately heritable at 35%, which means that the trait should be passed on to its offspring.
 
12th-13th Rib fat thickness: a measure (in inches) of external fat on the carcass. This measurement is taken at a point three-fourths of the length of the ribeye from the back bone end. The fat thickness is a good indicator of percent retail product. The greater the fat thickness, the lower the percent retail product. Fat thickness is lower in heritability (20-25%) than ribeye area and marbling.
 
Rump fat thickness: a measure of external fat on the carcass (in inches). The measurement is taken across the rump of the animal and may be most useful for predicting percent retail product in leaner cattle which have less 12th rib fat. Rump fat is negatively related to percent retail product. 
  

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