Tuesday, May 23, 2006

K-State Large Animal Veterinarian Uses Technology to Select Best Cattle for Reproduction

By Patrice Scott

Whether it's dine in, carry out or sizzling on your grill, Dr. Shelie Laflin may have had something to do with the beef on your dinner plate.

Laflin, assistant professor of agricultural practices at Kansas State University's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, is a cutting-edge clinician who uses technology to determine which production animals are best suited for reproduction. As a certified ultrasound technician, her techniques improve herd quality, industry economics and ultimately, your dinner.

"We ultrasound animals to obtain information about their bodies and use that information when we are selecting sires," Laflin said.

Marbling is a key factor in determining meat quality. Marbling, Laflin said, is actually streaks of intramuscular fat that give meat flavor.
"If a cow herd is somewhat low in marbling, I would select a bull with higher intramuscular fat to introduce into the herd," she said. "To a certain degree, the higher the marbling content, the better. Extramuscular fat is usually what is trimmed away by the butcher. Producers lose money based on the thickness of the extramuscular fat and are paid more for the amount of intramuscular fat."

The result of these high tech practices eventually comes neatly wrapped in cellophane at the grocery store, and Laflin offers guidelines in selecting meat.

"If the intramuscular fat is clumpy, it's a lower marbling animal," she said. "If the fat is more evenly dispersed, it's higher quality." The color of the meat is another indicator of quality. "The bright red color indicates oxygen exposure. With exposure to oxygen, any bacteria present will start to multiply."

Laflin grew up on a ranch in western Nebraska. She graduated from K-State in 2000 and joined the faculty at the teaching hospital in 2001. Since her arrival, she has provided individual and herd-based medicine to thousands of animals on farms and ranches within 125 miles of the teaching hospital.