Diagnostic Medical Sonography News April 2020 | Page 6

Spotlight
Ultrasound in Livestock
1. Percent intramuscular fat (PIMF)
2. Rib eye area and backfat
3. Rump area
Transverse shot to show the
percent intramuscular fat
Ultrasound technology has helped the healthcare industry tremendously. Using high-frequency
sound waves to produce images of tissues and internal organs is amazing! This technology
assists in the diagnosis of abnormalities and illnesses throughout the body. Through research, I
recently learned that not only does ultrasound technology help in healthcare, but it can also be
used for livestock. In the beef industry, for example, it is used for carcass trait measurements in
live animals, genetic process and reproductive management.
Carcass trait measurements in live animals are collected to estimate carcass retail yield and
meat quality. In livestock, the most commonly estimated traits are the ribeye area (REA),
backfat (BF), rump fat (RF) and percent intramuscular fat (PIMF). The ribeye area on a steer
is measured in square inches. It can be found between the twelfth and thirteenth ribs and
gives an estimate of the amount of muscle and lean product in the animal. The backfat is an
estimate of the amount of external fat and can be found in the same place as the ribeye area.
The backfat measurement is a critical factor that affects the retail product yield of the livestock.
Rump fat is yet another measurement of external fat. The percent intramuscular fat, an
objective measurement of marbling in live cattle, serves as a main indication of the livestock’s
meat quality. Marbling is the central trait used to determine USDA quality grades for livestock
meat.
Ultrasound technology has a 90% accuracy in predicting the percent intramuscular fat, ribeye
area, backfat and rump fat in livestock, but they do more than illustrate the quality of meat.
The use of ultrasound also helps to determine the heredity of carcass traits known as expected
progeny differences (EPDs), which are used to make genetic changes in livestock. Genetic
changes include selecting the livestock whose traits best qualify for market needs, and EPDs
measure the expected performance of the animal’s progeny.
Because they can track the condition of their animals using ultrasound technology, farmers are
able to use all of these traits to determine the quality of their livestock for market profit. They
can then use the information to alter their livestock’s diets to comply with market standards.
Picture of the rib eye area
In livestock, ultrasound technology is also used in reproduction performance. Similar to in
humans, it can help monitor ovarian activity, pregnancy, embryo development, embryo sexing,
artificial insemination techniques and the male reproductive system. Imaging of ovarian
activity is important because it shows which females are cyclic and non-cyclic. In a cow herd, a
non-cyclic female reduces reproduction efficiency. Having knowledge about the reproductive
status of females provides two advantages: visual confirmation of the presence or absence
of ovarian structures, and the diagnosis of abnormal ovarian (cysts) or uterine (pyometra)
conditions that can impair fertility. The ability of breeders to determine which females are
cyclic and non-cyclic before or during the breeding season provides useful information for
reproduction management.
Ultrasound technology offers a variety of tools for the livestock industry. It allows breeders to
track the performance and fertility of their livestock to enhance production, and it has opened
up more effective ways to monitor livestock. With the results from ultrasound scanning,
livestock are more likely to meet market specifications and fulfil their purpose at the highest
potential.
Brianna Marriage
Sonography Intern
Rump fat image
Diagnostic
Medical
Sonography
References:
Hicks Knight, Carole. “Using Live Animal Carcass Ultrasound in Beef Cattle.”
Vann, Rhonda. “Using Live Animal Carcass Ultrasound Information in Beef Cattle.”
Zalesky, Doug. “Using Ultrasound Technology in Beef Cattle Reproductive Management.”
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B1337&title=Using%20Live%20
Animal%20Carcass%20Ultrasound%20in%20Beef%20Cattle