Ultrasound intramuscular fat

Phenotype

Percentage of intramuscular fat (% IMF) is correlated with USDA marbling score. A minimum of four independent images should be collected and the resulting % IMF predictions averaged for this trait. The % IMF measurement is made from an image that is collected across the 11th-13th ribs (or 12th-13th ribs) at a lateral position from the animal’s midline at a point three fourths of the distance from the medial end of the longissimus dorsi muscle.

Adjusted Value

Percentage of intramuscular fat is adjusted to a common age (e.g., 365 days of age) and in multi-breed settings is also adjusted for breed composition.