By Payton Patterson
Special to TMN
Ultrasound technology has been around as far back as the ’80s but may not get enough credit for what it is worth. Ultrasound technology can save cattle producers money to diagnose open cows (animals that are not pregnant), determine the sex of the calf and get us a better look at the carcass quality of our animals as well as monitoring the health of our herds.
Ultrasound technology uses high frequency sound waves to see under the hide. This allows us to gather information without harming the animal. The machine consists of a monitor and a probe that is placed on the back of the animal, comparable to how sonograms are done on pregnant women.
Although we can use it in diagnosing pregnancies, we also have many other uses for it. Ultrasound can show us embryos or any deformities of the embryos, measure carcass traits, find tumors or locate and characterize ingested objects, show any inflammation and reveal blood or other fluid around the organs.
Ultrasound will allow early detection of pregnancy, which allows producers to be able to predict calving dates more accurately. We can also use it to detect embryotic deaths or the presence of twins. One of the most talked about uses of ultrasound technology is being able to detect the sex of the fetus at 60 to 80 days of pregnancy and plan accordingly. Female and male calves typically follow different paths; females will often be sold to other producers to be raised as momma cows, and males will usually be purchased by someone in the business to feed and send to market.
Ultrasound technology is used to measure the carcass quality. In breeding operations, the results are used to identify the best animals for breeding systems. The most common traits measured include ribeye area, back fat, rump fat, and intramuscular fat.
Ribeye area is a measurement taken between the 12th and 13th ribs and is used to see how much muscle or lean product is in the animal. Back fat is also measured between the 12th and 13th ribs and is used to determine the external fat on an animal – this is the most important factor when determining retail product yield, and what you may see in a meat counter.
Between the hook bones (hips) and the pin bones (beside the tail head) is where we measure rump fat, which is another place to determine the external fat on the animal. Intramuscular fat is going to be the marbling within the muscle. Marbling is the main trait used to determine USDA Quality Grades. To produce highly marbled beef that meets the Choice and Prime quality grades that our consumers love, we will want to use ultrasound technology to identify which animals to use to reproduce.
The most important aspect of cattle production to me is herd health. To have high quality meat and happy consumers, we need to maintain healthy animals. Ultrasound technology is also being used to detect problems with lung health. Ultrasound is a non-invasive technique used to visualize the lungs and damage caused by a current or chronic case of pneumonia or other illnesses for either prevention or treatment.
However producers use the results, ultrasound can be beneficial in many ways. Most importantly, this technology is a very low stress method of animal evaluation. You can find a list of technicians that are near you online, purchase your own equipment, or ask your veterinarian for contacts. In most cases, results will be at your fingertips. Like all management practices, it can increase the cost of production but is usually justified and economical in most situations. Ultrasound technology could save money, help produce ideal carcass traits and make culling decisions, and improve herd health.
Payton Patterson, a 2013 Chaparral High School graduate, is majoring in animal science at Fort Hays State University. She is the daughter of Ronnie Patterson and Sandy Jo Dunn, Anthony. This essay on a topic in agriculture was researched and written by a student as part of a project in a senior animal science class at Fort Hays State University.