The use of ultrasonography and photometry in cattle and pigs

In the present work we analyze the possibility of predicting in vivo or post mortem without dissection the quality and composition of bovine and porcine carcasses, using ultrasound and photometry techniques, which are non-invasive, harmless to animals and the environment, as well as mobile at an affordable cost. By measuring backfat and muscle thickness (mld) in vivo with ultrasound and correlating these measurements with the main carcass parameters obtained from the detailed dissection of the carcasses. By analyzing backfat content with sonogram photometry and correlating them with the laboratory analysis of intramuscular fat content. From the results of the correlations, linear regression models were constructed to establish the predictive power of the most important parameters of carcass quality and composition. The results varied according to breeds, live weight of the animals and place of measurement. We found medium to high correlations (r = 0.35 - 0.96 - P < 0.05, 0.01). Regression coefficients were in the order of (R2 = 0.30 - 0.96).