A note on the use of the ‘Danscanner’ for prediction of the composition of a sample joint from beef cattle

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Abstract
Forty-five crossbred cattle were scanned by ultrasonics at three sites on the body and were ‘condition scored’ before slaughter and subsequent dissection of a sample rib joint.Ultrasonic measurements gave a better indicator of fat content than did ‘condition score’. The third lumbar vertebra site on the body gave a better prediction of sample joint composition than did the 10th or 13th rib.The mean ultrasonic measurement of fat depth at the three sites did not improve the prediction of composition as compared with the value obtained at the third lumbar vertebra. The overall standard deviation for total fat concentration was 42·1 g/kg and for lean concentration was 35·4 g/kg. Area of fat at the third lumbar vertebra was the best single indicator of fat concentration and lean concentration in the sample joint, with residual standard deviations of 25·1 and 23·1 g/kg respectively. A combination of fat measurements at the 3rd lumbar position was the best overall predictor (residual standard deviation: 23·8g fat and 23·0g lean per kg).