Carcass evaluation of Tabapuã breed bovines using ultrasound

Abstract

Measures ultrasound enable the knowledge level of muscularity, the thickness of subcutaneous fat of the animal and the degree of marbling of the meat by measuring in vivo animal. The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass traits of 20 animals Tabapuã, quantifying the mean values and standard deviations of carcass traits and estimate simple correlations between body weight and ultrasound measurements. Carcass characteristics were measured by ultrasound ribeye area (AOL), fat thickness (EGS), obtained between the 12th and 13th rib, marbling score (MAR), ratio: height x width of the counterfilet (RATIO), AOL/100 and EGS/100. The estimates for body weight, AOL, AOL/100, RATIO, MAR, EGS and EGS/100 averages: 472.23 ± 140.80, 75.78 ± 21.17, 16.33 ± 2.63, 0 45 ± 0.04, 1.03 ± 0.19, 2.33 ± 0.77, 0.52 ± 0.11, respectively. The value of AOL found indicates animals with high yield of meat cuts. Significant correlations were 0.81 between AOL and body weight, between 0.70 RATIO and body weight, between 0.77 RATIO and AOL, 0.58 between EGS and weight, between 0.78 and EGS AOL, 0.53 RATIO between EGS and 0.41 between SEA and SFT and 0.70 between EGS and EGS/100. Significant correlations were probably due to the existing animals possessing sufficient to allow greater weight and fat deposition capacity.