Estimation of the muscle to bone ratio of the bovine pelvic limb using a morphometric method

Conformation is an indicator of carcass composition. The aim of this study was to derive an equation for estimating the composition of the bovine pelvic limb using morphometric variates. From a mixed group of 38 French bred bovines, the sample was chosen to have a wide range of conformation. The muscle to bone ratio (M B ) was used as an index of composition. The carcasses were weighed and the other variates of the equation were measured on carcass photographs: M B = 6.2 + 0.005W - 0.62EF AB + 12GH with W: carcass weight (kg); GH: medio-lateral diameter of the distal part of the leg (cm); EF AB : medio-lateral diameter of thigh (cm)/leg length(cm); (R(2) = 0.91 and rsd = 0.27).