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Photo taken by Junior Member
Kaitlin Campbell – MB |
By Sean McGrath
This article could also be titled Good and Bad Ways to Spend Your Money.
In most operations, time and money are limiting factors. While there are
great potential rewards from ultrasound, it is still important to try to
maximize the value received from the investment in scanning.
Good Investments:
- Collecting UGC data on cattle between 300 and 450 days of age
In order to use data in genetic evaluation (carcass EPD) cattle must
be scanned and the images read by appropriate UGC certified
technicians. Your scanning technician can help you out with this
process. This requirement helps to ensure that data is collected
appropriately, is of high quality and can be used for evaluation.
Because of the relationship between ultrasound and carcass
characteristics of fed cattle, it is important that scanning be
performed within an appropriate age range as well. Some guidelines are
shown in Table 1.
- Reporting performance data to the CLA
Ultrasound data builds off of existing performance data including
pedigree, birthdate, and weaning information. It is important that
cattle to be scanned also have as complete a performance record on
file as possible. It is also important that other calves in the herd,
which may have been culled at weaning, are reported to the CSA, so
that ultrasound results can be put into context of the entire herd.
- Scanning complete groups of cattle
Scanning full groups of cattle is an excellent investment. It provides
the most useful data for evaluation and comparative purposes and also
begins to provide a carcass map of the entire herd.
- Scanning replacement females
This is a great investment that is often overlooked. While many
producers scan bulls for marketing reasons, scanning potential
replacement females rapidly provides an assessment of carcass merit
for the entire breeding unit. Not only do females entering the herd
have their own performance record, but it also means that many of the
producing females will have progeny records. By mapping out the
carcass profile of the entire cowherd, selective mating can be
directly targeted to breeding program goals. As well, heifers tend to
express greater differences in marbling than bulls and can provide
some very informative information for genetic evaluation.
- Promoting that you scan
Promotion of your efforts is a good investment. Many commercial
producers may not ask for scan data, they just won’t go to your sale.
There are significant price rewards for commercial producers who can
provide high quality carcass genetics and many producers are aware of
it. UGC clip marks are marks of excellence for your cattle and your
program.
Not So Good Investments:
- Scanning herdsires / two year old bulls / weaned calves
It is not uncommon to see cattle scanned outside of the recommended
age ranges. The value of ultrasound is in its’ relationship to carcass
characteristics of finished cattle. That is why the age range is
important. In other words, scanning a 7 year old herdsire to determine
his carcass merit is useless and a waste of money. There are not a lot
of 7 year old feeder cattle.
- Scanning a few selected calves
Scanning selected calves may seem like a good idea to help conserve
the pocketbook. It is probably a better investment to forgo ultrasound
altogether, than to cherry pick the cattle that will be scanned.
Scanning incomplete groups of cattle does not provide a good basis for
comparison and may result in selection bias. It is also for this
reason that complete reporting of calves at weaning is important. With
complete weaning information preliminary selection such as castrating
calves post-weaning can be accounted for during genetic evaluation.
Another pitfall of scanning selected groups is that it does not build
the database for the future. A good example of this would be scanning
only your bull calves. This approach does not provide the same future
benefit as scanning all of your calves. If a cow produces a heifer
calf with a scan record this year, she will in all likelihood receive
a carcass evaluation from her progeny record. This data can be used in
genetic prediction next year when she may have a bull calf. We have
seen situations where even though the breeder has been scanning his
bull calves there are still sale bulls without carcass EPD.
- Not reporting performance data to the CLA
Ultrasound data is built on top of performance data. Not reporting
birth, pedigree or performance information means that the ultrasound
record can’t be used, not only for genetic evaluation, but also for
production of age adjusted scan values, ranks, indexes, sire summary
reports, etc.
Reporting of performance data on complete groups of cattle is key to
getting the most bang for your ultrasound buck.
- Using Chute Side Ultrasound (non-UGC)
The use of chute side ultrasound greatly limits the options with scan
data. Data that is not collected through UGC certified processes
cannot be used in genetic evaluation. In other words, no carcass EPD
can be produced from this data. In addition, it also means no reports
with age adjusted scan values, ranks, indexes, or sire summary
reports. UGC data collection requires a few extra steps, but it is a
good investment of time and money for those who choose to ultrasound.
Your technician can assist you with the process, and the steps are
outlined below.
| Table 1. Optimal
Scan Date Table |
| Birthdate |
300 Days |
450 Days |
| January 1, 2005 |
November 27, 2005 |
March 27, 2006 |
| February 1, 2005 |
December 28, 2005 |
April 27, 2006 |
| March 1, 2005 |
January 25, 2006 |
May 25, 2006 |
| April 1,2005 |
February 25, 2006 |
June 25, 2006 |
| May 1, 2005 |
March 27, 2006 |
July 25, 2006 |
| June 1, 2005 |
April 27, 2006 |
August 25, 2006 |
| July 1, 2005 |
May 27, 2006 |
September 24, 2006 |
To use the table, start from the birth date of the first calf born and
select 450 Days. This represents the latest date you can ultrasound if
you want to have this calf included in genetic evaluation. Select the
date of the last calf born and select 300 Days. This represents the
earliest date that you can ultrasound if you want this calf included in
the evaluation. If the 300 Days occurs after the 450 Days, then you must
either run 2 scan dates, or select which calves are most important to
for you to scan.
Example: Joe has his first calf born January 1st, 2005 and his last calf
born on May 1st, 2005. To include the oldest calf he must scan on or
before March 27th, 2006. To include the youngest calf he must scan on or
after March 27th, 2006. Joe calls the technician and organized a scan
date of March 27th.
How to Scan
- Contact a technician and
schedule a scanning session (technicians are busy so book early)
- Contact the CLA and obtain a
barn sheet
- Scan the cattle
- Submit completed barn sheet
and images to an approved laboratory (most technicians have a lab that
they work with and will direct you to)
- Reports are returned through
the CLA and will contain age adjusted scan information as well as
ranks/indexes on the calves
UGC Technicians:
Beef Improvement Ontario
1(519)767-2665
Windy Ridge Ultrasound
1(403)752-4066
Fox Technologies
1(405)624-3697
UltraBeef
1(204)764-2015
Sean grew up on a commercial cow/calf operation southeast of Vermilion,
Alberta. In 1999 he completed his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
with Great Distinction at the University of Saskatchewan. Sean majored
in Animal Science and was among the first class in the College of
Agriculture to complete degrees through the co-operative education
program. Throughout his degree he worked at the Canadian Charolais
Association, and upon graduation started full time with the Canadian Charolais
Association as
their Breed Improvement Co-ordinator.
Sean’s experience and areas of expertise include development of
performance programs, and operation of progeny tests, genetic programs,
EPDs, computer systems, registry and on farm software program
development, and extension work.
In December of 2001, Sean resigned his position with the Canadian
Charolais Association to embark on a private consulting practice
specializing in genetic improvement programs, primarily focused in the
beef industry. Sean also maintains an interest in farming and together
with wife Tanya operate a herd of commercial and purebred Angus females.
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