Ultrasound

Ultrasounding your animals provides you with fast, economical, and proven data on carcass composition of breeding stock at your fingertips.  By ultrasounding bulls and heifers you can determine their genetic merit for carcass traits actually looking under the hide. The traits measured are Rump Fat Thickness, Rib Fat (Fat Thickness), Rib Eye Area (REA), and Percentage Intramuscular Fat (%IMF). These traits are heritable. Genetic evaluation of these traits will allow breeders to select animals with the carcass traits that they desire for their breeding program.

Canadian Angus members who collect performance information are encouraged to ultrasound breeding stock, especially replacement females which form the baseline of your herd. Ultrasound data from young bulls and heifers between 320 and 460 days of age is used in national genetic evaluations, producing North American Angus EPDs for marbling, fat and ribeye area. Lean meat yield is also calculated on scanned cattle. All data must be collected by a CUP certified technician.

Successful purebred breeders give their customers what they want. Ultrasound is a tool that allows you to tell your customers how your genetics will impact the performance of their cattle now and into the future.

Although the ultrasound program is voluntary, the Canadian Angus Association would like all breeders on the Canadian Angus Performance Program (CAPP) to participate.

More Information on Ultrasound
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Ultrasound for Carcass Merit

Definitions

Scanning Guidelines

Ultrasound Scanning Procedures

Ultrasound Resources — Articles

Certified CUP Technicians

FAQs