Carcass Ultrasound Services
The Nova Scotia Cattle Producers (NSCP) are proud to offer live animal ultrasound technology services for cattle and sheep in the Maritimes. The NSCP obtained the imaging technology equipment and certified two technicians, Jacy McInnis and Ellen Davis, and are excited to offer the first permanent technicians this side of Quebec!
By having ultrasound services readily available to producers, the hope is that overall carcass traits and expected progeny differences (EPD’s) within the region will be increased. This service will aid in future breeding practices, as results will illustrate the appropriateness of breeding stock, indicating which heritable traits, such as those within feed efficiency and carcass measures, should be improved for optimal production.
Check out this article in Farm Focus by Amy Higgins – “Live Beef Carcass Ultrasounds Now on Offer in The Maritimes”
Ultrasound fees are broken down into four parts:
- Call fee (if multiple farms are block booked, this ranges from $50-$150; for individual bookings, you will be contacted with the fee). This covers set-up, report preparation, meals and accommodations.
- Chute side scanning fee ($60/hour). This covers the ultrasound of the animals.
- Per animal fee ($22/animal). This covers the CUP/association submission and report fees.
- Travel expenses (per kilometer)
Breed Age Requirements
For booking purposes, please ensure your cattle to be scanned are within the proper age requirements by breed in the above PDF.
AgSights Infographics Relating to Live Beef Carcass Ultrasound:
Fat Thickness – and its value in the market
Marbling (%IMF) – and its value in the market
Ribeye Area – and its value in the market
Meet Our Ultrasound Technicians – Jacy McInnis and Ellen Davis
Jacy McInnis is a certified beef and sheep carcass ultrasound technician who grew up on a beef farm in Nappan, Nova Scotia. Along with being the herdsman at the Maritime Beef Test Station, Jacy lives on a beef and sheep operation and maintains a small purebred Charolais herd.
Ellen Davis is originally from Port Elgin, New Brunswick, where she was raised on a commercial Charolais cow/calf operation. She attended her first year at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in 2015 and worked on local dairy farms part-time during her studies. After graduating in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Major in Animal Science, she was an agriculture feed rep in Colchester, Nova Scotia. For the last couple of years, she has worked for Genex as a semen rep, covering both Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In her free time, Ellen has a commercial Simmental cow/calf operation with her partner outside of Truro, Nova Scotia and enjoys raising heritage breed poultry.
