USE OF LIVE ANIMAL ULTRASOUND CARCASS MEASURES IN CARCASS EVALUATION OF BEEF CATTLE

摘要

Due to the industry's need for genetic information in this era of grid pricing and alliances, many U.S. beef breed associations have either recently developed or are developing carcass genetic evaluation programs. Traditionally, carcass genetic evaluation programs have principally utilized carcass measures from finished slaughter cattle. However, many purebred breeders have been collecting live animal ultrasound measures on their young seedstock and sending this information to the breed associations.As a result, some breed associations are already using live animal seedstock ultrasound measures to predict carcass genetic values, and other breed associations are trying to decide the best ways to utilize ultrasound measures in their genetic evaluation programs. The purpose of this paper is to present some information on the usefulness of ultrasound measures of young seedstock in the prediction of carcass genetic values.