Couple Operates Cattle Scanning Businesses

Couple Operates Cattle Scanning Businesses 34-1-6 Cattle farmers Craig and Becky Hays of Diagonal, Iowa, operate a sideline bovine ultrasound business, one of only four of its kind in the U.S. Breeders use the ultrasound information to evaluate carcass trait potential of live animals to make better culling, mating and marketing decisions. Craig, a certified ultrasound field technician, physically scans cattle at ranches across the U.S., and collects images which are interpreted back at their "farm lab" by Becky (who's also a certified ultrasound field and lab technician). Craig's scanning business is called Critical Insights, Inc., and Becky's processing operation is called UltraInsights Processing Lab, Inc. To maintain their credentials, the couple must pass field and lab certification tests every other year, proving their knowledge and proficiency. "I also work for other field techs to interpret their scanned images," Becky explains. She has analyzed ultrasound scans of more than 75,000 head of cattle so far in her 7 years of business, and she says her turnaround time is currently about two days. She is usually asked to supply the data to breed associations, who compile EPD's (Expected Progeny Differences) for the purebreds involved. Ultrasound data on commercial cattle then goes back to the breeder to be used in herd management. Most of the images she works with are submitted to her via the internet from field techs such as her husband. The couple is busiest between January and May and find September to November a bit busier as well. Investment in equipment is around $20,000. The charge to breeders for scanning ranges from $12 to $18 per head, including travel, with $4 of that going to lab fees. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, UltraInsights Processing Lab, Inc., 1767 210th Ave., Diagonal, Iowa 50845 (ph 641 464-2310; ui@uicuplab.com; www.uicuplab.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.