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Ultrasonic Prediction of Swine Carcass Composition¹

South Dakota State University, Brookings

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to evaluate methods of determining the area of the l. dorsi muscle and to determine the value of ultrasonic measurements taken at the 10th rib and on the ham to predict ham and loin percent and yield of lean cuts.

The accuracy of estimating the area of the l. dorsi was nearly the same when three or 10 ultrasonic measurements were used (r=0.61 and 0.64, respectively). A prediction equation including age, one fat and one muscle reading accounted for 50% of the variation in predicting the l. dorsi area.

The prediction equations used to predict ham and loin percent, lean cuts percent and kilograms of lean cuts were presented. The greatest accuracy was achieved for the prediction of kilograms of lean cuts. The coefficient of determination obtained for predicting lean cuts percent was 10 to 14% lower than was the coefficient of determination for predicting kilograms of lean cuts. The coefficients of determination for equations used to predict the ham and loin percent were low.

The higher standard partial regression coefficients obtained for the ultrasonic fat and muscle readings taken at 5.0 cm.+80° and 10.0 cm.+50° suggest that those readings would be more important than those taken at 2.5 cm.+80° and 5 cm.–80° for predicting yield of lean cuts. With the exception of the top ham fat readings, the predictive value of ham readings was low. The relatively low increased accuracy achieved by including estimated l. dorsi would suggest that the estimated area would not be necessary to predict kilograms of lean cuts.

Ultrasonic measurement of fat and muscle at 5 cm.+80° and 10 cm.+50° and the top ham fat depth and slaughter weight were practical and relatively simple measurements to obtain for the prediction of kilograms of lean cuts.

¹ Published with approval of the Diretcor of the South Dakota State Agricultural Experiment Station as publication No. 843 of the journal series.

² Department of Animal Science.