The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonography to measure fat thickness in live lambs and predict carcass composition to find a system that can assess carcass composition easily and accurately, without damage to the product and can improve carcass classification. Fat thickness (FTh) between the 12th and 13th ribs and between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae, was measured in vivo using realtime ultrasound, in 67 Churra Galega Bragancana males (mean weight 36.0 kg, range 21.5-47.0 kg), using an ALOKA SSD-500V equipped with two probes (5 and 7.5 MHz) in order to predict carcass composition. The most satisfactory correlation between carcass and ultrasound measurements was between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae fat thickness (FTh). The first variable admitted in the models to predict carcass composition (live weight, LW) explained between 63% and 96% of the total variation of the weight of the components of the carcass. In fact, 96% of the variation in total amount of muscle was accounted for by live weight. The inclusion of the ultrasound measures with the 7.5 MHz probe improved, in all prediction equations, the coefficient of determination (R 2) with a substantial reduction in the residual standard deviation (RSD). In relation to the subcutaneous fat of the carcass, 85% of the variation was explained by live weight and the FTh 12-13 7.5 measurement. In the prediction model for total carcass fat weight, live weight and ultrasound fat thickness measurement explained 88% of the variation. The results indicate that in vivo ultrasound fat thickness measures in association with live weight can be used to predict carcass composition in Churra Galega Bragancana lambs. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
