Body Condition Scoring of Beef Cattle, Sheep and Goats

1. Body Condition Scoring of Beef Cattle, Sheep and Goats Scott Morey DVM, MS Tolland, CT

2. BCS in Beef Cattle • Importance in monitoring herd nutritional status • Varies throughout the year • Ranges from 1(thin) to 9 (obese) • Utilize to manage feeding practices • Prepare animals before “need” • Close link between BCS and many factors https://animalscience.tamu.edu/2017/08/08/some-thoughts-on-body-condition-scoring-of-cows/

3. Remember: A Beef Cows job is to make a Calf • Strong link between low BCS and… • Reproductive performance/open cows • Failure to cycle • Failure to conceive • Calving interval • Calf vigor at birth http://www.mibeef.org/beefproduction.aspx

4. https://beef.unl.edu/learning/condition1a.shtml http://www.wyoextension.org/publications/html/B1294/

5. Normal Variations in Body Condition • Typical Range is 3 to 7 • Can vary between animal in a herd • Will vary throughout the year • In my opinion, fat is just as bad as thin • One BCS is about 100 lbs. • Ex. BCS 5=1200 lbs., then 6=1300 lbs.

6. Investigating Variations • Fat Cows: • Not “Working” (lactation, gestation) • Confinement –Pasture vs. Paddock • Over-feeding • Thin Cows • Under-feeding – #1 reason in my opinion (basic math) • Parasitism • Excess work - twin pregnancy, lactation in certain breeds

7. Financial Implications • Fat Cows: • In general, cows eat 3% of their body weight daily. • Roughly $4-5 per day in CT. • 10 cows @ 1400 lbs. (BCS 6) = 14,000 lbs. • 10 cows @ 1600 lbs. (BCS 8) = 16,000 lbs. • Difference of 2,000 lbs. OR 1.5 cows OR $7.50/day OR $225/month • Thin Cows: • Takes roughly 10 lb. of feed to make 1 lb. weight gain • BCS 3 @ 900 lbs.. Needs to gain 3 scores (300-450 lbs.) • 400 lbs. x 10 lbs. of feed = 4500 lbs. of EXTRA feed • 1500lbs grain + 3000 lbs. roughage = $581 to “catch up”

8. https://www.grass-fed-solutions.com/body-condition-scoring.htmlhttps://www.grass-fed-solutions.com/body-condition-scoring.html

9. Where to Look https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-795/400-795.html

10. https://animalscience.tamu.edu/2017/08/08/some-thoughts-on-body-condition-scoring-of-cows/https://animalscience.tamu.edu/2017/08/08/some-thoughts-on-body-condition-scoring-of-cows/

11. https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-795/400-795.htmlhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/510806782713253257/https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-795/400-795.htmlhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/510806782713253257/

12. http://www.thecattlesite.com/articles/674/body-condition-scoring-beef-cowshttp://www.thecattlesite.com/articles/674/body-condition-scoring-beef-cows

13. https://futurebeef.com.au/knowledge-centre/body-condition-score-for-beef-cattle/https://futurebeef.com.au/knowledge-centre/body-condition-score-for-beef-cattle/

14. https://appgrooves.com/app/body-condition-score-beef-cows-by-the-university-of-nebraska-lincolnhttps://appgrooves.com/app/body-condition-score-beef-cows-by-the-university-of-nebraska-lincoln

16. Optimal Timing • Goal of BCS 5-7 at time of calving • May require increasing or decreasing feed prior to • Expect a drop in BCS from lactation demand post-calving • It’s hard to increase BCS after calving • Goal of BCS 6 or higher at breeding • About 90 days after calving • May be difficult during winter calving • This is when nutritional management is most important • IDEALS WILL VARY WITH DIFFERENT HERDS AND LOCATIONS

17. Overall • BCS monitoring is a management tool • Fluctuates throughout the year • Use to help manage feed costs • Maintain reproductive efficiency • Prevent disease

18. BCS in Sheep

19. BCS Scoring in Sheep • Sheep are hard to assess visually • Wool cover prevents “eyeballing” them most of the time • Scale from 1 to 5 (thin to obese) • Usually 0.5 increments • Age, pregnancy and wool can affect interpretation of BCS • Parasitism is a serious health concern • BCS monitoring can help find “outliers” in a flock • Causes weight loss • Failure to gain (as a flock or individually)

20. Need To Be Hands On! • It can be obvious to see a 1 or a 5, but you can not do a real assessment of a flock without being hands on. http://www.sheep101.info/201/feedingewes.htmlhttp://www.infonet-biovision.org/AnimalHealth/Sheep-new-animal-welfare-information

21. Feel the Topline/Lumbar Vertebrae • Palpating 3 things • Spinous processes • Epaxial Muscles • Fat Cover • Each lumbar vertebrae has 3 processes • Dorsal Spinous • Left and right transverse

23. Stage of Production Optimum BCS Maintenance 2 Breeding 3 Early Gestation 2+ Late Gestation 3 Lambing 3+ Weaning 2 REMEMBER: IDEALS WILL VARY!!! https://www.apsc.vt.edu/content/dam/apsc_vt_edu/extension/sheep/programs/shepherds-symposium/2012/12_symposium_greiner_bcs.pdf

25. BCS in Goats

26. BCS in Goats • Similar in concepts to sheep • Differences • Meat vs. Dairy • Shorter hair coats • Sternum http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/research/bcshowto.html

27. BCS 1 http://articles.extension.org/pages/21636/goat-body-condition-score-introduction

28. BCS 2 http://articles.extension.org/pages/21636/goat-body-condition-score-introduction

29. BCS 3 http://articles.extension.org/pages/21636/goat-body-condition-score-introduction

30. BCS 4 http://articles.extension.org/pages/21636/goat-body-condition-score-introduction

31. BCS 5 http://articles.extension.org/pages/21636/goat-body-condition-score-introduction

32. Questions?