Post by dunderi on Aug 5, 2013 1:02:40 GMT -5
taken directly from www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/dairy/handling-and-management/weighing-and-condition-scoring
It's a good reference for if you're unsure of whether you need to be feeding your cow more than you currently are. Yes dairy cows can look "thin" when view in comparison to beef cows especially...but they also lose weight and suffer stress more easily too, good feeding and the maintenance of a healthy weight is very important.
I'm sure this is already on here somewhere already - but I couldn't find it readily and thought people might find it interesting viewing. I'm sorry to see the tails docked in these pictures too.
Scoring the body condition of dairy cows
Everyone has different ideas of cow condition and use different terms to describe it. To overcome this language problem, a scale of eight body condition scores has been developed to visually assess cow condition.
Scoring is in numbers from 1 to 8 and the range is from an emaciated condition (score 1) through to very fat (score 8). The condition scoring system is mainly based on observations of different amounts of fat around the base of the tail and over the hips and back of cows.
The use of this condition scoring system enables dairy farmers to make an assessment of the condition of their cows. After deciding the most suitable condition for their cows at calving, they can then formulate the feeding management to achieve this condition. This ensures that feed is used efficiently and high production per cow is achieved.
Although these photographs are for Jersey cows, they can be used to visually assess body condition score with Fresian cows as well.
THE INDICATORS
Amount of fat on backbone, hips and ribs
Amount of fat around base of tail and prominence of pin bones
SCORE 1
No flesh over the skeleton. Backbone is sharp and is a very prominent ridge. It is very easy to feel individual lumbar vertebrae. The shape of each individual short rib can easily be felt.
Condition score 1 Condition score 1 (b)
SCORE 2
Area around base of tail is deeply sunken in. Backbone is a prominent ridge. Hips and pins are very prominent. The shape of the ends of the short ribs can be easily felt. It is easy to feel between the tops of the short ribs.
wcs-score2-a wcs-score2-b
SCORE 3
Area around base of tail is sunken in. Backbone is a prominent ridge. Hips and pins are prominent. The ends of the short ribs can be easily felt. It is possible to feel between the tops of the short ribs with pressure.
wcs-score3-a wcs-score3-b
SCORE 4
Area around base of tail is only slightly sunken in. Backbone is a raised rounded ridge. Slight fat covering over pins, hips and short ribs. The ends of the short ribs can be felt and are rounded. It is not possible to feel between the tops of the short ribs.
wcs-score4-a wcs-score4-b
SCORE 5
Area around base of tail is almost filled out. Backbone is a rounded ridge. Even fat covering over pins, hips and short ribs. Only some of the short rib ends can be felt. It is not possible to feel between the tops of the short ribs.
wcs-score5-a wcs-score5-b
SCORE 6
Area around base of tail is filled out. Back is rounded across the loins. Cannot feel the ends of the short ribs or between the tops of the short ribs. Tail head is still prominent.
wcs-score6-a wcs-score6-b
SCORE 7
Back is flat across the loin. Backbone can only be felt by pressing down firmly. Cannot feel short ribs. Hips are well rounded. Tail head is a rounded ridge with some folds of fat either side.
wcs-score7-a wcs-score7-b
SCORE 8
Backbone is covered by a thick layer of fat and cannot be felt. Cannot feel short ribs. Hips are no longer obvious. Tail head has large folds of fat on either side.
wcs-score8-a wcs-score8-b
Everyone has different ideas of cow condition and use different terms to describe it. To overcome this language problem, a scale of eight body condition scores has been developed to visually assess cow condition.
Scoring is in numbers from 1 to 8 and the range is from an emaciated condition (score 1) through to very fat (score 8). The condition scoring system is mainly based on observations of different amounts of fat around the base of the tail and over the hips and back of cows.
The use of this condition scoring system enables dairy farmers to make an assessment of the condition of their cows. After deciding the most suitable condition for their cows at calving, they can then formulate the feeding management to achieve this condition. This ensures that feed is used efficiently and high production per cow is achieved.
Although these photographs are for Jersey cows, they can be used to visually assess body condition score with Fresian cows as well.
THE INDICATORS
Amount of fat on backbone, hips and ribs
Amount of fat around base of tail and prominence of pin bones
SCORE 1
No flesh over the skeleton. Backbone is sharp and is a very prominent ridge. It is very easy to feel individual lumbar vertebrae. The shape of each individual short rib can easily be felt.
Condition score 1 Condition score 1 (b)
SCORE 2
Area around base of tail is deeply sunken in. Backbone is a prominent ridge. Hips and pins are very prominent. The shape of the ends of the short ribs can be easily felt. It is easy to feel between the tops of the short ribs.
wcs-score2-a wcs-score2-b
SCORE 3
Area around base of tail is sunken in. Backbone is a prominent ridge. Hips and pins are prominent. The ends of the short ribs can be easily felt. It is possible to feel between the tops of the short ribs with pressure.
wcs-score3-a wcs-score3-b
SCORE 4
Area around base of tail is only slightly sunken in. Backbone is a raised rounded ridge. Slight fat covering over pins, hips and short ribs. The ends of the short ribs can be felt and are rounded. It is not possible to feel between the tops of the short ribs.
wcs-score4-a wcs-score4-b
SCORE 5
Area around base of tail is almost filled out. Backbone is a rounded ridge. Even fat covering over pins, hips and short ribs. Only some of the short rib ends can be felt. It is not possible to feel between the tops of the short ribs.
wcs-score5-a wcs-score5-b
SCORE 6
Area around base of tail is filled out. Back is rounded across the loins. Cannot feel the ends of the short ribs or between the tops of the short ribs. Tail head is still prominent.
wcs-score6-a wcs-score6-b
SCORE 7
Back is flat across the loin. Backbone can only be felt by pressing down firmly. Cannot feel short ribs. Hips are well rounded. Tail head is a rounded ridge with some folds of fat either side.
wcs-score7-a wcs-score7-b
SCORE 8
Backbone is covered by a thick layer of fat and cannot be felt. Cannot feel short ribs. Hips are no longer obvious. Tail head has large folds of fat on either side.
wcs-score8-a wcs-score8-b