Ke. Hamlin et al., REAL-TIME ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENT OF FAT THICKNESS AND LONGISSIMUS MUSCLE AREA .1. DESCRIPTION OF AGE AND WEIGHT EFFECTS, Journal of animal science, 73(6), 1995, pp. 1713-1724
Serial ultrasonic measures of fat thickness (FTU) and longissimus musc
le area (LMU) were taken on 180 feedlot steers representing 11 sire-br
eed groups at two 60-d intervals. Cattle then were slaughtered in four
groups of 45 at 21-d intervals with ultrasonic measures taken at each
interval. Analyses of variance indicated weight (WT) effects (P < .00
1) for all FTU measures and many of the LMU measures. Age was a source
of variation (P < .05) for FTU and LMU over the first five measuremen
t dates. Sire-breed (SBD) effects (P < .001) were prevalent for all FT
U estimates and early LMU predictions. Some dam line and SBD x dam lin
e interactions were detected (P < .1) for the FTU and LMU estimates. A
ge effects were described quadratically (P < .001) when FTU and LMU we
re regressed on age (R(2) = 47 and 68%, respectively). When FTU and LM
U were regressed on WT, effects were described quadratically (P < .001
) with R(2) values of 46 and 72%, respectively. Animals then were assi
gned to one of four biological types (BT) based on percentage of retai
l product (0-mm fat trim) using discriminant cluster analysis. Within
BT, ultrasonic variables were regressed on age. Quadratic effects (P <
.01) were detected for both FTU and LMU. Weight also contributed to v
ariation observed in both ultrasonically measured variables for all BT
(P < .001). These data indicate that changes in fat and muscle size a
s affected by age and weight are detectable using serially collected u
ltrasound measures. Furthermore, the age and weight relationships of p
redicted FTA and LMA varied across the four biological types. This sug
gests a need for derivation of biological type-specific age and(or) we
ight adjustment equations for cattle evaluation purposes.