Nagel''s wife, Cindy, and her sister-in-law, Angela Nagel (both pictured multipurposefencetool on page 34), are trained technicians who go on the road with the equipment, scanning more than 15,000 cattle a year for producers across the Midwest and West. Their business, Midwest Sonatech, Inc. (605/369-2628) works with Iowa State University (ISU) to analyze the data. Business is booming."Ultrasound body composition data is the greatest tool a seedstock producers can use to make genetic improvement," says Cindy. "Customers are now demanding the data. Ultrasound results can make or break a bull."The Nagels use two Aloka 500V multipurposefencetool machines to collect measurements on fat thickness, ribeye area and marbling, and rump fat. The stored images are analyzed by ISU with computer software. multipurposefencetool and multipurposefencetool The Nagels can scan 20 cattle an hour. They charge $14 a head, which includes $4 for image analysis.

Ultrasound works magicOne tool that South Dakota beef producers Blane and Cindy Nagel can''t do without is an ultrasound machine. All heifers on their 300-head Maine-Anjou herd are scanned each May and then bred according to their muscle scores and marbling levels. Ultrasound data for all sale bulls is provided to potential buyers. "As a breeder, I use it as a mating tool," says Blane, who farms near Springfield. "The buyers of my bulls use it as a selection tool." Nagel pays most attention to the marbling around the ribeye area. His cattle naturally muscle well, so he is looking for those who are also heavily marbled.

"I like Polaris because of the automatic transmission. Switching gears makes moving cattle hard when you are switching from 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and then back down to reverse," says Green. "Polaris just goes from low or high range to reverse."The ATV accessory Green can''t live without is a mesh rack for hauling fencing equipment. The racks are made by Moose Utility Division and cost about $125.ATVs can replace both pickups multipurposefencetool and leg work, producers say. "The use of a Honda four-wheeler vs. my truck has saved big dollars," writes Brad Leonard, Holt, Missouri. Kim Queen, Old Fort, Tennessee, says buying a second ATV was a key management change, because "one of us always had to walk to the corral and check cattle."