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Ultrasound Technology Picks Top Steers at Beef Empire Days Predictions and speculations often fall short when attempting to place live cattle with hypothesized carcass information. But John Brethour is using ultrasound technology to eliminate the guessing game. "This kind of practice was developed by Kansas State University a number of years ago," said Brethour, a beef nutrition professor stationed at K-State's Western Kansas Agricultural Research Center. "Basically, we use ultrasound to tell us abut carcass data. We felt we could identify and place certain animals in a carcass contest. It is a success story in itself." During the annual Beef Empire Days cattle show in June, Brethour consigned five head of predominately Angus cattle from a pool of 50 produced by the Hays research center. All five exhibits placed in the top 20. The sixth place finisher was a Wagyu sired calf. Brethour also took first place with a steer in the carcass division. That showing confirmed the innovative influence of ultrasound on the industry's future, said Alan Fankhauser, Beef Empire Days executive director. "The theory behind Beef Empire Days involves bringing together producers to learn more about industry wants, and ways for producers to become more successful," Fankhauser said. "We wanted to help producers raise standards to meet consumer demands in the long run. Ultrasound could play a heavy part in accomplishing that goal." Since the Hays Center's first entry in the show in the early 1990s, Brethour said his entries have usually been near the top. Heavily crediting his success to the ultrasound technology, Brethour said the ideal carcass has three-tenths of an inch of back fat and 15-16 inches of lean muscle. A large amount of marbling is also needed for a high grade. Brethour's steer had .36 of an inch of back fat and a 14.8 inch ribeye. The 794 pound carcass was graded high choice. Brethour said it is difficult to "eyeball" these attributes without measurements, underscoring the important role of ultrasound. The technology provides a glimpse inside the animal to determine carcass statistics. "Our technology is actively being applied to the industry," he said. "Based on numbers and repeat business, producers find the potential and worth of the procedure for their operations as a tool to build on for the future." |
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