beginner’s guide to body condition scoring a tool for dairy herd management web presentation...
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Beginner’s Guide Beginner’s Guide to Body Condition to Body Condition
ScoringScoring
A Tool for Dairy Herd A Tool for Dairy Herd ManagementManagementWeb PresentationWeb Presentation
Updated July, 2004Updated July, 2004
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Using body condition scoring to fine Using body condition scoring to fine tune herd nutrition and health tune herd nutrition and health management has become a widely management has become a widely accepted practice. accepted practice.
This presentation is designed to This presentation is designed to Introduce you to body condition scoring Introduce you to body condition scoring Provide examples of cows scored 1 to 5 Provide examples of cows scored 1 to 5
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Evaluating Body Condition vs. Evaluating Body Condition vs. TypeType
Type evaluation Type evaluation (classification, judging) (classification, judging) compares animals to the compares animals to the “ideal”“ideal” conformation conformation
Body condition scoring Body condition scoring considers the relative considers the relative fatnessfatness or or thinnessthinness of of animalsanimals
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Goals of Body Condition Goals of Body Condition ScoringScoring
Early detection of potential health Early detection of potential health problemsproblems
Identify areas for improved feeding Identify areas for improved feeding managementmanagement
Improve herd health, production, Improve herd health, production, reproduction, profitabilityreproduction, profitability
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Body Condition ScoringBody Condition Scoring
Visual and tactile evaluation of body Visual and tactile evaluation of body fat reservesfat reserves
Indication of energy balanceIndication of energy balance Scale of 1 to 5, increments of 0.25Scale of 1 to 5, increments of 0.25 Body Condition Score = BCSBody Condition Score = BCS
BCS 1 = emaciated cow (too thin) BCS 1 = emaciated cow (too thin) BCS 3 = average body conditionBCS 3 = average body condition BCS 5 = excessively fat cowBCS 5 = excessively fat cow
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Areas to EvaluateAreas to Evaluate Rump / Pelvic AreaRump / Pelvic Area
TailheadTailhead HooksHooks PinsPins ThurlThurl
LoinLoin Short ribs Short ribs SpineSpine
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Side ViewSide View
Pins
Thurl
Hooks
Rear ViewRear View
Pins
Thurl
Hooks
Short Ribs
Tailhead Ligament
Sacral Ligament
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(Short Ribs)
(Spinous Process)
If an animal is grossly fat, the bone structure cannot be seen or felt through the fat. In thin animals, the bone structures are very prominent.
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Step-by-Step ProcessStep-by-Step Process
See “See “Learn to Score Body Condition” ” presentation on the dairy nutrition presentation on the dairy nutrition websitewebsite
Not a perfect scienceNot a perfect science Scores should be similar (Scores should be similar ( 0.25) 0.25)
When measured on one animal or When measured on one animal or When measured by different peopleWhen measured by different people
Separates average condition from Separates average condition from extremesextremes
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Extremely Fat Extremely Thin
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Examples of ScoresExamples of Scores
Presented to help you see the major differences – Presented to help you see the major differences –
for a more detailed system of scoring, seefor a more detailed system of scoring, see “ “Learn to Score Body Condition””
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Side viewSide view Bones of tailhead easy to seeBones of tailhead easy to see Prominent backboneProminent backbone Tips of short ribs are clearly visible Tips of short ribs are clearly visible Hooks, thurl, and pins very prominentHooks, thurl, and pins very prominent
BCS 1: Severely Under-BCS 1: Severely Under-conditionedconditioned
Photo Not AvailablePhoto Not Available
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All boney All boney prominences easily prominences easily visible visible
Hooks, pins, spine, Hooks, pins, spine, & ribs very sharp& ribs very sharp
Deep cavities Deep cavities around tailheadaround tailhead
Thin legs, poor Thin legs, poor muscle conditionmuscle condition
BCS 1BCS 1
Photo Not AvailablePhoto Not Available
Rear viewRear view
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BCS 2: Severe Negative Energy BCS 2: Severe Negative Energy BalanceBalance
Tailhead prominent, limited skin cover Tailhead prominent, limited skin cover Prominent backboneProminent backbone Limited skin cover on short ribs. From Limited skin cover on short ribs. From
tip to spine, short ribs are visible ¾ of tip to spine, short ribs are visible ¾ of the distancethe distance
Angular hooks and pins with Angular hooks and pins with prominent thurlprominent thurl
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Hooks, pins, & Hooks, pins, & thurl prominentthurl prominent
Tailhead area Tailhead area somewhat somewhat hollow, but has hollow, but has modest covering modest covering of fleshof flesh
BCS 2BCS 2
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BCS 2.75: Slightly ThinBCS 2.75: Slightly Thin
Visible backbone Visible backbone Tip of short ribs smooth, but visibleTip of short ribs smooth, but visible Hooks angular, but pins padded by Hooks angular, but pins padded by
fatfat V-angle formed between hooks, V-angle formed between hooks,
thurl, and pinsthurl, and pins
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Hooks angular, but Hooks angular, but pins more pins more rounded or padded rounded or padded with fatwith fat
Hollow below Hollow below tailhead compared tailhead compared to a BCS 3to a BCS 3
BCS 2.75BCS 2.75
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BCS 3: Good ConditionBCS 3: Good Condition
More flesh covering backboneMore flesh covering backbone Tip of short ribs smoothTip of short ribs smooth Hooks and pins rounded and smoothHooks and pins rounded and smooth V-angle formed between hooks, V-angle formed between hooks,
thurl, and pinsthurl, and pins
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Hooks and pins Hooks and pins rounded rounded
No deep No deep depressions or fat depressions or fat deposits around deposits around tailheadtailhead
BCS 3BCS 3
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BCS 3.25: Slightly FleshyBCS 3.25: Slightly Fleshy
More flesh covering backboneMore flesh covering backbone Tip of short ribs very smoothTip of short ribs very smooth Hooks and pins more rounded and Hooks and pins more rounded and
smoothsmooth U-angle formed between hooks, U-angle formed between hooks,
thurl, and pinsthurl, and pins
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Rounded hooks & Rounded hooks & pinspins
Sacral and Sacral and tailhead ligaments tailhead ligaments visiblevisible
BCS 3.25BCS 3.25
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BCS 4: Over-conditionedBCS 4: Over-conditioned
Backbone barely visibleBackbone barely visible Short ribs very smooth, tips barely Short ribs very smooth, tips barely
visiblevisible Hooks and pins very smooth, but Hooks and pins very smooth, but
visiblevisible Flat between hooks and pinsFlat between hooks and pins
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Hooks & pins Hooks & pins rounded, but visiblerounded, but visible
Rump and thurl flatRump and thurl flat Sacral and tailhead Sacral and tailhead
ligaments not visibleligaments not visible
BCS 4BCS 4
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BCS 5: Severely Over-BCS 5: Severely Over-conditionedconditioned
Backbone not visibleBackbone not visible Short ribs flat, bones not visibleShort ribs flat, bones not visible Hooks and pins not visibleHooks and pins not visible Flat over rump and tailheadFlat over rump and tailhead
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All boney All boney prominences prominences rounded and rounded and covered in fatcovered in fat
Tailhead buried in Tailhead buried in fatfat
Fat deposits readily Fat deposits readily seen on rump and seen on rump and legslegs
BCS 5BCS 5
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SummarySummary
The body condition scoring scale The body condition scoring scale Under-conditioned cows = BCS 1Under-conditioned cows = BCS 1 Over-conditioned cows = BCS 5Over-conditioned cows = BCS 5
Determining a cow's BCSDetermining a cow's BCS Look at pelvic area and loin Look at pelvic area and loin Fat deposits become evident Fat deposits become evident cow is over cow is over
conditioned conditioned Bone structures become prominent Bone structures become prominent cow is cow is
thinthin