Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
8/14/00
Contacts:
Tom Baas, Iowa Pork Industry Center, (515) 294-6728,
tjbaas@iastate.edu
Sherry Hoyer, Iowa Pork Industry Center, (515) 294-4496,
shoyer@iastate.edu
County Fair Livestock Show Exhibitors Benefit from Ultrasound Scanning Service
AMES, Iowa -- Some animal science students at Iowa State University have helped Iowa county fair youth and open class hog show exhibitors gain a better understanding of carcass quality and value through an ultrasound scanning service. ISU Extension swine specialist Tom Baas said the ultrasound program provides valuable information to exhibitors and gives participating ISU students the opportunity to hone some specialized skills.
"The ISU students who do the scanning are nationally certified ultrasound technicians," Baas said. "To become certified, they passed skills and knowledge testing and have successfully completed a two-part scanning practicum. This helps ensure the accuracy of the scan measurements."
Baas, also of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, oversees the program that is available to all counties in Iowa. There is a charge for this program based primarily on the number of animals to be scanned.
Exhibitors receive backfat and loin muscle area measurements on each animal. This information may be combined with growth rate and weight information to estimate either lean gain per day on test or percent lean. Depending on the show, all results are usually made available to the public. Exhibitors can use the scan results from their own animals to evaluate options and make decisions about their herd's genetics.
"Ultrasound is a great tool because you can know the measurements before the animal is slaughtered," Baas said. "It's one thing to see the live animal in a show, but it's even better to be able to look at it and know what's on the inside."
The ultrasound scanning program began at ISU more than a decade ago and is supported by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. During the past two months, undergraduate student Jay Lampe and graduate students Doug Newcom and Colin Johnson scanned more than 1,300 hogs in 4-H/FFA and open class shows in 12 counties.
For more information on this program or how to schedule a show for next year, contact IPIC at (800) 808-7675.
ml: isufarm
Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.