The Measurement of Carcass Characteristics of Goats Using the Ultrasound Method

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine if ante mortem carcass characteristics measured via the ultrasound method in live goats is associated with carcass characteristic measured postmortem.  Forty crossbred Spanish goats were evaluated at five different time periods for a total of 80 days.  Ante mortem measurements of fat thickness (FTU), longissimus muscle area (LMAU), longissimus muscle width (LMWU), longissimus muscle depth (LMDU), rib eye area, rump fat (RFU), and rump depth (RDU) were made using an Aloka 500V.  Twenty-four hours postmortem, fat thickness (FTC), longissimus muscle width (LMWC), longissimus muscle depth (LMDC), rump fat (RFC), and rump depth (RDC) was measured.  Correlation analysis performed on the data revealed a high significance between LMAU and LMAC (r = 0.75; P < 0.01), and LMDU and LMDC (r = 0.71; P < 0.01).  Linear regression analysis performed on the data collected over the 80 day study period revealed significance for FTU and FTC (r2 = 0.24; P < 0.01), LMAU and LMAC (r2 = 0.56; P < 0.01), LMWU and LMWC (r2 = 0.27; P < 0.01), LMDU and LMDC (r2 = 0.51; P < 0.01), and RDU and RDC (r2 = 0.21; P < 0.01).  Data indicated that when ultrasonically estimating carcass characteristics, measurements tended to overestimate characteristics in smaller goats and underestimate characteristics in older goats taken 24-hours postmortem.