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Beef Breeder MANUAL
4. Cattle Health and Welfare
4.1. Observational Skills
To assist in the detection of any abnormalities that will afect the animal’s performance, producers must
develop good observational skills. Experienced producers know the diference between normal and
abnormal behaviour, and appearance. The behaviour or appearance of an animal is a good indication of how
the animal feels, if it is well or sick, or if it needs more, or better quality feed.
4.1.1. Body Condition Scoring
The body fat reserves of beef cattle can be used as a visual indicator of their condition and are strongly
correlated to performance throughout the breeding cycle Fig. 4.1. Learning to assess the body condition
of cattle is a basic management skill that producers can utilise to manage the productivity and proitability of the
herd. The objective of condition scoring is to obtain a reliable
estimate of the body fat reserves of live animals. Body Condition Score BCS provides an estimate of fat
reserves that is independent of size and is a more reliable descriptor than liveweight alone.
With practice, “hands on” scoring of the herd takes only 10 to 15 seconds per animal. Condition scoring
allows producers to monitor the results of feeding and management programs, and to make appropriate
adjustments to their management in response. This is particularly important during winter when feed available
must be suicient for cattle to continue meeting production targets.
Condition scoring can be used on all classes of animals, including breeding, backgrounding and inishing. In
breeding animals, assessment of body condition at critical stages of the production cycle identiies cows
in need of nutritional management to reach target condition scores. For backgrounding and inishing
animals, knowing their condition allows selection
Figure 4.1. Relationship between body condition score at mating and pregnancy rate PTIC. Cows in better body condition BCS 3, 4 and 5 at mating have higher pregnancy rates. Source:
Central Queensland Beef.
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Cold Winter Climates
of those with the desired level of fat cover for target markets.
Both the beef and dairy cattle industries of a number of countries have adopted body condition scoring systems
to assist producers to monitor their cattle. It should be noted that the number scales vary between countries
and beef or dairy cattle; for example Australia uses a 0 to 5 scale for beef cattle, and a 1 to 8 scale for dairy cattle,
the USA beef cattle scoring system is a 1 to 9 scale, and the Canadian beef industry uses a 1 to 5 scale.
Condition Scoring Techniques Condition scoring is a subjective and reliable hands-on
practice that involves palpating the short ribs spinous processes, and the tail head to assess fat cover Fig. 4.2.
The Short Ribs The degree of prominence of the short ribs of the
individual spinous processes is found by placing the ingers lat over the short ribs and pressing the thumb
into the end of the short ribs Fig. 4.3. A condition score is given according to the ease with which the individual
short ribs can be felt with the thumb. The Tail Head
The degree of fat cover around the tail head is assessed by using the ingers and thumb and should be done
at the same time as assessing the short ribs. The appropriate score is given depending on the degree to
which palpable fat can be felt.
Figure 4.2. Condition scoring sites on beef cattle.
Source: Department of Primary Industries, Victoria.
Figure 4.3. The degree of fat cover around the
tail head and short ribs is assessed using the ingers
and thumb. Source: Department of Primary
Industries, Victoria.
Short Ribs Tail head
Hide Fat Cover
Eye Muscle
Spine Short Ribs
Thumb Pressure
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Beef Breeder MANUAL
Body Condition Score Classiication A body condition score of nil indicates a severely
emaciated animal while a change to BCS of ive is grossly obese. A diference of one BCS may relect a
liveweight diference of as much as 60kg. Descriptions of the BCS scale are as follows:
Welfare Implications of the Body Condition Score Monitoring BCS throughout the year enables producers
to gain an accurate picture of the nutrition and health of the herd as seasonal conditions, feed quality and
availability, and animal physiology change. Importantly, body condition and body condition change should
be used as a trigger for implementing diferent managements for either individual animals or mobs
when required, based on current and past condition measurements.
In particular, cattle that fall within the low range of body condition, and those that sit at the highest condition
score trigger additional concern when it comes to certain management activities Table 4.1. Where animals
in the herd are identiied with scores in these ranges, the manager must initiate appropriate management
responses to move the animals towards a better body condition.
Alternatively, and particularly for cattle with very low body condition, if mob-based feed and health management
solutions are not readily available or able to be implemented, consideration must be given to remove
the animals from the herd for individual management, or if in very poor condition, humane slaughter procedures
should be implemented see Section 4.2.6.
4.1.2. How to Recognise Sick Animals