Simultaneously prediction of sheep and goat carcass composition and body fat depots using in vivo ultrasound measurements and live weight

Excess fat in lamb is regarded as an important reason for less lamb meat being purchased by consumers. This has encouraged the development and use (particularly in Terminal Sire breeds) of selection indices that can identify animals that will sire leaner progeny. These indices usually include live weight and in vivo predictors of body composition, such as an ultrasonic measurement of muscle and fat depth, as selection criteria (Simm and Dingwall, 1989). But the usefulness of such in vivo measurements as predictors of carcass composition depends on the correlation between, and the variation in, live and carcass measures. The objectives of this study were to determine the strength of the relationship between ultrasound and dissection measures of carcass composition, and the degree of genetic variation in these measures, in crossbred progeny of Suffolk rams.

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Comparison of seven ultrasonic techniques for in vivo estimation of beef carcass composition with special reference to performance testing

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100012526 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 51 (3) ◽

pp. 489-495 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

S. J. Porter ◽

M. G. Owen ◽

S. J. Page ◽

A. V. Fisher

Keyword(s):

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Performance Testing ◽

Live Weight ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

Time Interval ◽

Velocity Of Sound ◽

Subjective Assessments ◽

Intermuscular Fat ◽

Ultrasonic Techniques

ABSTRACTForty-nine bulls, 27 Limousin × Friesian and 22 Charolais × Friesian, were evaluated and slaughtered in four batches of about equal size over 4 weeks. Each batch was of one breed. Age, live weight at evaluation and subjective assessments of fatness and conformation were recorded together with fat and muscle measurements by the Delphi, Meritronics, Scanogram, Vetscan, Kaijo Denki, Warren and the Velocity of Sound ultrasonic machines. Experienced operators were used to assess the performance of machine/operator combinations likely to be achieved in bull performance testing in the field. Fat thicknesses and areas, and m. longissimus areas were taken at the 10th rib and 13th rib, and 3rd lumbar regions by most machines. For the Delphi and Meritronics machines, fat thicknesses only were taken; for the Velocity of Sound machine, time interval measurements and anatomical distances were taken at the shoulder, mid back, lumbar and hind limb regions. The left side of each carcass was fully separated into lean, subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, bone and waste. All measurements were examined as potential predictors of carcass composition in step-wise regression in a model which included week of evaluation, breed and live weight at evaluation as the first independent variable. On the whole, scanning machines had a higher precision than A-mode machines, with the Velocity of Sound machine achieving the highest precision for carcass lean (g/kg) (residual s.d. = 13·0) and fat (g/kg) (residual s.d. = 14·1). None of the linear and area measurements taken on the carcass achieved the degree of precision of the Velocity of Sound, Scanogram and Vetscan machines.

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The effects of plane of nutrition and slaughter weight on the performance and carcass composition of continental beef bulls given high forage diets

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100007066 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 41-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

D. C. Patterson ◽

C. A. Moore ◽

R. W. J. Steen

Keyword(s):

Energy Intake ◽

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Live Weight ◽

Body Cavity ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

The Body ◽

Slaughter Weight ◽

Fat Depots ◽

Increase With Increase ◽

Ad Libitum

AbstractBulls (½ Blonde d'Aquitaine ⅜ Charolais) were used in a 2 × 3 factorial design experiment with two planes of nutrition in the finishing period and three slaughter weights. High and low planes of nutrition were based on diets with similar forage to concentrate ratio (0·40 of dry matter (DM)) offered ad libitum or at 0·78 of ad libitum DM intake at equal live weight respectively. The target slaughter live weights were 550, 625 and 700 kg. Twelve bulls were taken to each slaughter point and an additional five animals were killed as a pre-experimental slaughter group. Mean initial live weight was 412 (s.e. 5·3) kg at a mean age of 342 (s.e. 2·5) days. No significant interactions were found between the main factors. For the high and low planes, live-weight and estimated carcass gains were 1251 and 989 (s.e. 47·7), and 816 and 668 (s.e. 35·3) g/day respectively, the reduction in gains being similar to the proportional degree of nutritional restriction. Plane of nutrition had no effect on live-weight or carcass gain per unit of energy intake. The low plane of nutrition produced significant decreases in body cavity fat depots, subcutaneous fat in the sample joint and increased the proportions of both saleable beef and high-priced joints in the carcass.With increase in slaughter weight, energy intake per unit of live weight0·75 and rates of both live-weight and carcass gain tended to decline. The dressing proportions were 583,579 and 609 (s.e. 9·1) g/kg for the slaughter live weights of 550, 625 and 700 kg. Carcass conformation improved while fat depots in the body cavity and estimated concentration of separable fat in the carcass increased with increase in slaughter weight, and both estimated lean and bone concentrations decreased. Forequarter as a proportion of total side tended to increase with increase in slaughter weight. Slaughter weight had no effect on concentration of saleable meat or ultimate pH of carcass muscle. It is concluded that bulls of this genotype can be taken to high slaughter weights on diets having a relatively high proportion of forage as grass silage, with high rates of growth and acceptable carcass leanness.

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Relationships between fat depots and body condition score or tail fatness in the Rasa Aragonesa breed

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100032402 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 275-280 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

A. Teixeira ◽

R. Delfa ◽

F. Colomer-Rocher

Keyword(s):

Body Fat ◽

Body Condition ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Live Weight ◽

Fat Depots ◽

Condition Score ◽

Total Fat ◽

Total Body ◽

Fat Depot ◽

The Individual

ABSTRACTThe relationships between body fat depots and body condition score (BCS) were determined in 52 adult Rasa Aragonesa ewes aged 10 (s.d. 2) years and ranging in BCS from 1·5 to 4·5. BCS of each ewe was assessed by three people, the repeatability within individuals being 90% and between individuals 80%. The ewes were weighed before slaughter. After slaughter the omental, mesenteric, kidney and pelvic fat were separated and weighed. The fat of the left side of the carcass was separated into subcutaneous and intermuscular depots. The relationship between live weight and BCS was semilogarithmic and those between fat depots and BCS were logarithmic. Regression analysis was also used to describe the relationships between the various fat depots and BCS or live weight. Of the variation in total fat weight, proportionately 0·90 was accounted for by variations in BCS, while 0·84 was accounted for by variations in live weight. For individual fat depots proportionately 0·86 to 0·90 of the variation was accounted for by variation in BCS and 0·69 to 0·79 by variation in live weight. BCS was a better predictor than live weight of the weight of both total body fat and the individual fat depots.A curvilinear regression between BCS and live weight showed that the increases in live weight for a unit change in BCS was 7, 10, 12 and 16 kg for each one point increase in BCS from 1 to 5 respectively.The tail fat depot (tail fatness score) was assessed in the same ewes by score on a three-point scale. Of the variation in the weight of individual fat depots, proportionately 0·79 to 0·86 was accounted for by variation in tail fatness score. Thus the tail fatness score could be used as an additional method of assessing body condition in the Aragonesa breed.

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Carcass composition of lambs including a method of assessment using tritiated water in vivo

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100040897 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 293-299

Author(s):

D. A. R. Davies ◽

J. B. Owen ◽

A. Cuthbertson ◽

J. L. Read

Keyword(s):

Tritiated Water ◽

Performance Testing ◽

Live Weight ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

Fat Percentage ◽

Live Animal ◽

Body Component ◽

Fat Thickness ◽

Method Of Assessment

AbstractTwenty-four Suffolk cross lambs, the progeny of three sires, were reared artificially under standardized conditions and slaughtered at 40 kg live weight.The tritiated water technique as a means of estimating carcass composition in vivo was evaluated and carcass composition was established using both physical dissection and chemical analysis. Live-weight gain of the lambs from weaning was 389 g/day but the carcasses were lean. Dissected fat, lean and bone percentages were 20·5, 58·4 and 18·9 respectively. Differences between progeny groups were non-significant.Fat percentage was the most variable body component, although lower than in many other reported studies. The CV for dissected fat was 15·2% and for chemically analysed fat 15·9%. The correlation between estimates for the two methods was high (r = 0·90) despite there being quantities of other constituents in the dissected fat. It was not possible to demonstrate any relationship between reciprocal of tritiated water count and fat percentage or any other measurement of the composition of the whole carcass. Other measurements made on the live animal, such as fasted live weight and ultrasonic determinations of fat thickness and area of m. longissimus dor si were also not related to carcass composition.It is concluded that neither tritiated water count nor any of the other measurements of the live animal would be sufficiently accurate to be of value in performance testing.

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Use ofin-vivomeasurements to estimate breast and abdominal fat content of a free-range broiler strain

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1357729800053613 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 23-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J. E. Melot ◽

M. M. Motter ◽

L. R. Morao ◽

M. J. Huguet ◽

Z. Canet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Regression ◽

Live Weight ◽

Abdominal Fat ◽

Regression Equations ◽

Ultrasound Method ◽

Ultrasound Measurements ◽

Weight Prediction ◽

Stepwise Procedure ◽

Breast Weight

AbstractThe objective of this work was to evaluate the ultrasound method as a tool forin-vivobreast and abdominal fat prediction on Campero-INTA broilers. Breast length (mm), width (mm), surface (mm2; ultrasound) and depth (mm; ultrasound), and abdominal fat depth (mm; ultrasound) were measured at 65-66 and 72-73 days of age on 96 males. At 79 days of age, the broilers were weighed and slaughtered. Breast and abdominal fat weights (g) were obtained. Multiple regression equations were fitted using live weight (g) andin-vivomeasurements to predict breast and abdominal fat weights and proportions (g/g). The best model for each case was selected by the Stepwise procedure. Equations fitted were verified using another set of data. Breast weight prediction using live weight and breast length in the model was as accurate as using live weight and breast depth. The former is recommended for breeding work. Abdominal fat weight prediction using ultrasound measurements of fat was less accurate than breast weight prediction. Repeatabilities for ultrasound breast measurements were higher (0·72 to 0·73) than those for abdominal fat (0·51 to 0·52). Operator effect may be important when training levels are different.

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The partition of body fat in British Friesian and Jersey steers

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100027434 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 253-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

B. W. Butler-Hogg ◽

J. D. Wood

Keyword(s):

Body Fat ◽

Milk Fat ◽

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Age Groups ◽

Live Weight ◽

The Body ◽

Fat Depots ◽

Breed Difference ◽

Intermuscular Fat ◽

Total Body

ABSTRACTNinety-two British Friesians and 62 Jersey castrated male cattle were slaughtered serially in five age groups at 13, 89, 170, 339 and 507 days, and dissected fully into lean, bone, intermuscular fat, subcutaneous fat, perirenal-retroperitoneal fat (kidney knob and channel fat), omental fat and mesenteric fat. The aim was to investigate the partition of body fat in these dairy breeds and the role of the partition of fat in determining carcass value.Relative to live weight, Friesians had more lean, subcutaneous fat and carcass fat (subcutaneous and intermuscular) at most ages, and Jerseys had more kidney knob and channel fat, and intra-abdominal fat. Friesians had a higher killing-out proportion and lean:bone ratio, and thicker subcutaneous fat.The order of increasing relative growth of fat depots with total body fat as the independent variable was, for Friesians: intermuscular < mesenteric < kidney knob and channel fat < subcutaneous < omental. In Jerseys the order was: intermuscular < mesenteric < subcutaneous < kidney knob and channel fat < omental. There were only small breed differences in the distribution of subcutaneous fat between eight regions. t I is suggested that, between breeds, there is a physiological link between the capacity for milk-fat production and the partition of fat within the body, with relatively high milk-fat producers depositing proportionately more fat intra-abdominally.Since the timing of slaughter is often determined by level of external finish in beef production, the breed difference in the partition of fat, which caused Jerseys to have a higher proportion of kidney knob and channel fat, and intermuscular fat, at the same proportion of subcutaneous fat, would reduce carcass value in Jerseys compared with Friesians.

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The effects of dose and method of administration of biosynthetic bovine somatotropin on live-weight gain, carcass composition and wool growth in young lambs

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100012332 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 405-414 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

I. D. Johnsson ◽

D. J. Hathorn ◽

R. M. Wilde ◽

T. T. Treacher ◽

B. W. Butler-Hogg

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Shoulder Joint ◽

Abdominal Cavity ◽

Live Weight ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

Bovine Somatotropin ◽

Curvilinear Relationship ◽

Live Weight Gain ◽

Fat Depots ◽

Wool Growth

ABSTRACTExogenous bovine pituitary somatotropin (GH) can influence markedly body composition in fattening lambs. However, neither the effects of biosynthetic somatotropin nor the effects of dose and method of administration have been reported. Fifty Dorset-cross lambs (female and castrated male) were given concentrate ad libitum and treated between 10 and 22 weeks of age with biosynthetic bovine somatotropin either dissolved in buffer and injected subcutaneously (s.c.) in proportion to body weight (0·025, 0·1 or 0·25 mg/kg per day), dissolved in buffer and continuously infused s.c. (0·1 mg/kg per day) or suspended in olive oil and injected s.c. (0·1 mg/kg per day), and compared with 10 untreated control lambs. Somatotropin had little effect on live-weight gain (controls = 228 g/day; final live weight 37 kg), food intake and food conversion efficiency, and only marginally increased the weight of muscle and bone dissected from the shoulder joint. The weights of the major fat depots in the abdominal cavity and of fat dissected from the shoulder joint were linearly related to dose of somatotropin (P < 0·001). Lambs given the highest dose had less visceral fat (1·18 v. 2·84 kg; P < 0·001) and proportionately less fat (285 v. 374 g/kg; P < 0·001) and more muscle (542 v. 447 g/kg) and bone (172 v. 149 g/kg; P < 0·001) in the shoulder joint than control lambs. There was a positive curvilinear relationship (P < 0·01) between clean wool growth (mid-side patch sample) and dose; lambs injected daily with 0·1 mg somatotropin per kg grew one-third more wool than control lambs. Method of administration affected plasma somatotropin profiles but had no significant influence on any of the responses measured. The anabolic actions of somatotropin may have been limited in this experiment by a low sodium concentration in the diet. It is concluded that the lipolytic/anti-lipogenic effect of somatotropin can occur in the absence of conditions conducive to the stimulation of muscle protein deposition and that the response is dose dependent but not influenced by method of administration of the hormone.

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Genetic variation and relationship of ultrasonic measures and carcass composition in Suffolk cross lambs

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0308229600030798 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 1996 ◽

pp. 111-111

Author(s):

V.C. Flamarique ◽

R.M. Lewis ◽

G. Simm

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Selection Criteria ◽

Live Weight ◽

Ultrasonic Measurement ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

Selection Indices ◽

Terminal Sire ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

Excess fat in lamb is regarded as an important reason for less lamb meat being purchased by consumers. This has encouraged the development and use (particularly in Terminal Sire breeds) of selection indices that can identify animals that will sire leaner progeny. These indices usually include live weight and in vivo predictors of body composition, such as an ultrasonic measurement of muscle and fat depth, as selection criteria (Simm and Dingwall, 1989). But the usefulness of such in vivo measurements as predictors of carcass composition depends on the correlation between, and the variation in, live and carcass measures. The objectives of this study were to determine the strength of the relationship between ultrasound and dissection measures of carcass composition, and the degree of genetic variation in these measures, in crossbred progeny of Suffolk rams.

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Carcass composition and body fat depots of Galego Bragançano and crossbred lambs by Suffolk and Merino Precoce sire breeds

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1357729800015277 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 389-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

A. Teixeira ◽

R. Delfa ◽

T. Treacher

Keyword(s):

Body Fat ◽

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Carcass Composition ◽

Meat Production ◽

Intensive Management ◽

Local Breed ◽

Fat Depots ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Intermuscular Fat

AbstractThe main purpose of this work was to compare two breeds of improved rams (Suffolk and Merino Precoce) with the local Galego Bragangano breed for the production of crossbred slaughter lambs and to evaluate which cross was more adapted for meat production from the local breed in locations in the north-east of Portugal. The experiment was carried out over a 4-year period in three locations: (1) a farm with an intensive management; (2) an upland farm (400 to 600 m); and (3) a hill farm (above 800 m). Within each flock with 90 Galego Bragangano ewes, two rams of each of the sire breeds were used: Galego Bragangano, Suffolk and Merino Precoce. The lambs were slaughtered at 20 and 40kg, to obtain the carcass weight range of 8 to 14kg. The left sides of 151 carcasses were dissected into muscle, subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat and bone. The lambs from location 1 had the highest carcass muscle proportion and the lowest carcass intermuscular fat proportion; their differences over locations 2 and 3 were 13 and 16 g/kgfor muscle proportion and 11 and 19 g/kgfor intermuscular fat proportion, respectively. The differences between breeds were relatively small and not significant. However the Suffolk crosses had less kidney, knob and channel fat than the other genotypes (5 and Uglkg less than Merino crosses and Bragangano, respectively). The Suffolk crosses tended to have less body fat.

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