Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T14:26:01.711Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An evaluation of two ultrasonic machines (Scanogram and Danscanner) for predicting the body composition of live sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. J. Kempster ,
D. Arnall ,
J. C. Alliston  and
J. D. Barker
A. J. Kempster
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, PO Box 44, Queensway House, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EF
D. Arnall
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, PO Box 44, Queensway House, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EF
J. C. Alliston
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
J. D. Barker
Affiliation:
Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
Get access

Abstract

Scans of the m. longissimus and overlying fat at the 12th rib were taken, just prior to slaughter, on 254 lambs using the Scanogram and Danscanner ultrasonic machines. The lambs were from a ram breed trial and comprised six sire breed × five dam breed groups. Mean live weight at slaughter was 44·5 kg.

The precision with which scan measurements predicted comparable carcass measurements and carcass lean content (g/kg lean) was examined within groups with variation in live weight eliminated.

Residual s.d. for the prediction of carcass m. longissimus area from the corresponding scan measurement was 141 and 158 mm2 for the Scanogram and Danscanner respectively (s.d. of carcass m. longissimus area was 162mm2). Residual s.d. for the prediction of lean from the best combination of fat measurements was 32·0 for the Scanogram and 35·8 for the Danscanner (s.d. of lean was 38·5). M. longissimus did not increase the precision of lean prediction.

In a comparable evaluation of the Scanogram, involving 147 lambs, the residual s.d. for the prediction of lean was 24·0 (s.d. = 28·9).

The levels of precision obtained were low and it is debatable whether the ultrasonic techniques examined would be of value for carcass lean prediction in practical applications. They might be of use in selection programmes within nucleus flocks of the more important meat sire breeds or as an aid in experiments for differentiating between animals of widely differing composition.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , June 1982 , pp. 249 - 255
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Cuthbertson, A., Harrinoton, G. and Smith, R. J. 1972. Tissue separation—to assess beef and lamb variation. Proc. Br. Soc. Anim. Prod. (New Ser.) 1: 113–122.Google Scholar
Kempster, A. J. 1981. The indirect evaluation of sheep carcass composition in breeding schemes, population studies and experiments. Livest. Prod. Sci. 8: 263–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Croston, D. and Jones, D. W. 1981. Value of conformation as an indicator of sheep carcass composition within and between breeds. Anim. Prod. 33: 39–49.Google Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Cuthbertson, A., Jones, D. W. and Owen, M. G. 1981. Prediction of body composition of live cattle using two ultrasonic machines of differing complexity: a report of four separate trials. J. agric. Sci., Comb. 96: 301–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kempster, A. J., Cuthbertson, A., Owen, M. G. and Alliston, J. C. 1979. A comparison of four ultrasonic machines (Sonatest, Scanogram, His Observer and Danscanner) for predicting the body composition of live pigs. Anim. Prod. 29: 175–181.Google Scholar
Miles, C. A. 1978. Note on recent advances in ultrasonic scanning of animals. Proc. 24th Eur. Meat Res. Wkrs' Congr., Kulmbach, pp. W13.3–W13.6.Google Scholar
Pattie, W. A., Thompson, J. M. and Butterfield, R. M. 1975. An evaluation of the Scanogram as an ultrasonic aid for assessing carcase composition in live sheep. (A report submitted to the Australian Meat Board.)Google Scholar
Shelton, M., Smith, G. C. and Orts, F. 1977. Predicting carcass cutability of Rambouillet rams using live animal traits. J. Anim. Sci. 44: 333–337.Google Scholar
Stouffer, J. R., Wallentine, M. V., Wellington, G. H. and Diekmann, A. 1961. Development and application of ultrasonic methods of measuring fat thickness and rib-eye area in cattle and hogs. J. Anim. Sci. 20: 759–767.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tulloh, N. M., Truscott, T. G. and Lang, C. P. 1973. An evaluation of the “Scanogram” for predicting the carcass composition of live cattle. (A report submitted to the Australian Meat Board.) School of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Wolf, B. T., Smith, C. and Sales, D. I. 1980. Growth and carcass composition in the crossbred progeny of six terminal sire breeds of sheep. Anim. Prod. 31: 307–313.Google Scholar