Top grade scanning
ANDREW CHRISTIANSEN
Reporter
It wouldn’t be unusual to learn of a nurse who is good at using ultrasound equipment. But you might expect the setting to be a hospital or clinic, not a livestock barn. Yet, that is precisely where Alice Eshelman, RN, could be found on entry day at the Klickitat County Fair.
Eshelman was volunteering her expertise with ultrasound equipment to provide the beef judge and exhibitors estimates of carcass data on live animals.
When Eshelman isn’t working at the Mid Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, as the supervisor for same day surgery, she is helping her husband, Charles, on their farm at Centerville. The Eshelmans grow some wheat and hay, and they also raise registered Angus and crossbred Angus cattle. The Eshelmans have been using carcass information for some time as an aid for selecting replacement breeding heifers for their herd. They used to haul cattle to Prosser for ultrasound measurements.
Ultrasound can provide a picture of what lies beneath the skin of an animal. It is commonly used to estimate the size of rib eye, thickness of fat, and degree of marbling in cattle. The expense and distance limited the amount of information the Eshelmans received, because it wasn’t practical to scan their entire herd. In 2005,
Alice went to Ames, Iowa to become a certified ultrasound technician. She spent most of a week learning the technique and finally, testing for certification. “We scanned animals for three to six hours a day,” says Eshelman. The final test was a written exam and a practical test of proficiency and consistency. “We had to scan 20 head of cattle in random order, twice. It also required you to finish in no more than three minutes per animal,” says Eshelman. She returned to the farm with the equipment and skill to begin testing the entire herd.
Local veterinarian, Carl Conroy suggested Alice use her skill to scan cattle at the fair. She gave it a go in 2007, and it has become an important aspect of the beef show. In addition to the information the families gain about their cattle, data is used by the beef judge to give a better assessment of the cattle. “It helps him have a higher percentage of cattle that will grade choice (among the top selections),” says Eshelman. Without the scan data, judges rely solely on visual clues and feel of the animal to determine if there is the right amount of fat cover, which is a predictor of marbling. Eshelman saves the scanned images on a computer. The file is sent to the Centralized Ultrasound Processing (CUP) lab, where a technician traces the shape of the muscle, measures the thickness of fat over the rump, and uses a computer to estimate percent marbling from three images Eshelman takes from the 12th and 13th rib area.
The CUP lab was developed by Iowa State University and the American Angus Association for the purpose of providing unbiased and consistent measurements of ultrasound images. The volume of demand out-grew Iowa State University and the service was commercialized by Walter and Associates LLC. The main purpose is to provide data for seed stock producers like the Eshelmans, but it is also useful in assessing finished cattle.
There are very few people around who own the equipment to collect ultrasound data from cattle, and Alice Eshelman is one of the few if not the only person in the state who is certified by the CUP lab.
“I’ve had good feedback on this. People are becoming more informed. The kids are on top of it,” says Eshelman. Count Dr. Conroy among those who are pleased. “I think it is a good thing for the judge to have the information. We are trying to put up a good calf for our champion, not only in how it looks, but in carcass as well.”
Eshelman was back to work at the hospital on Monday with scanning equipment stored until spring. And images of rib eyes will be on the minds of 4-H’ers and FFA exhibitors this fall when they select or buy calves for next year’s fair.
Teacher brings forest to class
Goldendale Primary School fourth grade teacher Erin Klejeski has been learning about what happens out in the woods.
The educator is one of seven teachers in western Washington who participated in a summer program that matches up teachers with tree farmers.
Klejeski will bring this hands-on experience back to the classroom next week to encourage students to better understand the forests around them.
She has been working with Hancock Forest Management to learn how foresters protect and help to create wildlife habitat for birds. She got to observe and record data on how wildlife use snags that the timber company created within young timber stands. This includes monitoring the snags to help document nesting success.
“My experience working with Hancock Forest Management’s wildlife biologist and foresters has given me valuable insight into the complexity of forest management and the effort that is given to maintaining a sustainable forest for humans, as well as wildlife,” Klejeski said.
She is working to integrate her new research skills into her existing science curriculum. Students will be asked to practice observation and measurement skills to determine the health of community trees as well as the value such trees might have for humans and wildlife alike. In addition, they will likely be contributing to their community by planting trees.
The TOSA Program is sponsored by the Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA).
Buckin’ broncos and rodeo queens at the County Fair
Coordinators call the 2008 Klickitat County Fair and Rodeo a roaring success
The 2008 Klickitat County Fair and Rodeo filled Goldendale with the sounds, smells, and sights of bull-ridin’, barbecues, and, band-playing this weekend.
Events included barrel racing, calf-roping, sheep dressing, steer wrestling, bareback and saddle bronc riding, wild cow milking, team penning, pole bending, and branding.
Exhibit halls brimmed with local crafts, from painting and photography, to florals, fleece, home-baked goodies, as well as livestock viewing like beef and dairy cattle, dogs, rabbits, sheep, and equine.
Grand Marshal Gayla Guenther oversaw the event and Michelle Bradley served and the sparkling rodeo queen.
Dr. Jim Ogden gave a free radio dispatch taxi service out of his 1948 DeSoto Custom, and fire fighters, police officers, school officials, churches, and community organizations gathered in booths to celebrate.
Kids and adults alike were spotted submerging one another in the frigid dunk tank, and little ones climbed onto a fire truck display.
A dog show with special tricks and rides in the rear including a ferris wheel, kids cars, SkyMaster, Gravitron, and Paratrooper all topped off the festivities.
Although fair board members reported overall pass sales down slightly from last year, barbecue numbers were up.
Event coordinators said they were happy with the turnout and looking forward to next year.
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