What is body condition scoring of cattle and how and when do you do it?

Answer 1

What is BCS?

Body condition score or BCS of cattle is very important in determining the fertility and feed efficiency of your animals. BCS is used in all animals, primarily more in terms of health than reproductive ability and feed conversion. It is a measure of fat cover over an animal's body on a scale of 1 to 5 (Canadian scale) or 1 to 9 (American scale), with 1 being the most emanciated with no fat cover, and 5 or 9 being very fat or obese. Normal cows should have a BCS score of 2.5 to 3.5 (CDN BCS) or 5 to 6 (USA BCS). I will give the details of each level later.

How do you score?

There are three or four important places on a cow to determine the body condition score: short ribs, backbone (spine or topline), hip bones (hooks and pins) and tail-head. You must do the scoring on the animals right side because if you do it on the left side, it will skewer the results since the left side is where the rumen is located. Doing scoring by your eyes alone is not the best way to score an animal, particularly if that animal has a thick hair coat that covers most of the details of what condition it is in. Using touch and feel with your hands is the best method.

Start by doing a general assessment of the cow's entire body. Look closely or feel those areas where accumulation or loss of fat reserves typically occur, including those four places mentioned above. Then run your hands down the topline to check the condition of the vertebrae, and ask yourself, 'Can I feel the tops of the vertebrae or not?'

Next, assess the short ribs for condition. The short ribs are located on the topline of the cow, immediately after the last rib bone and right before the hip bone. Place your hand on top of the short ribs with your fingers pointing towards the spinal column. This method enables your hand to be anchored to the short ribs, at the same time using your thumb to push through the hide and the fat layer (if present) to feel the bone with sufficient strength. Use your thumb and roll it over the end of the short rib. Then ask yourself, 'Can I feel the tip of the short rib bone? Is it smooth or sharp?' Since there is no muscle between the end of the short ribs and the skin, any sort of padding felt by your thumb is fat.

Then run your hands over the hip bones including the hooks and pins, pushing down with pressure, to assess of there is fat cover or not. With your fingertips, push down on the tail head to pin area to see if there is fat present or not in this area.

The Scoring Scale

The Canadian condition scoring system uses the following to define each score:

Score 1:

• Entire body: Extremely thin; all skeletal structures visible; no muscle tissue evident & no external fat present. Hair coat dull. Survival during stress doubtful.
• Backbone: Individual vertebrae well defined and very sharp. Able to place fingers between each vertebra
• Shortribs: visually prominent as individuals; very sharp to the touch.
• Tail head & hooks: visually prominent; no fat present.

Score 2:

• Entire body: Thin. Vertebrae along topline prominent. Muscle tissue evident, but not abundant.
• Backbone: Individual vertebrae can be felt. Fingers cannot be placed between vetebrae.
• Shortribs: Can be identified individually when touched; feel sharp rather than very sharp. Individual ribs can be indentified visually.
• Tail head & hooks: Some tissue cover around tailhead and over hip bone and pin bones. Tissue felt with firm pressure, with no fat pad palpable.

Score 3:

• Entire body: Ideal condition. Score of 2.5 to 3 good for calving. Ribcage slightly visible. Muscle tissue nearing maximum. Obvious fat deposits behind front shoulder. Areas on each side of tailhead faily well defined, but not mounted.
• Backbone: Somewhat defined. Difficult to feel top of vertebrae.
• Shortribs: completely covered in fat. Individual ribs only felt with firm pressure and feel rounded; not noticeable to the eye.
• Tail head & hooks: Areas on either side of tailhead have a degree of fat cover; easily felt. Hooks and pins visible, not prominent. Fat cover in tail head to pin area feels slightly spongy when fingers press downwards.

Score 4:

• Entire body: Bone structure no longer noticeable. Skeletal structure difficult to identify. Folds of fat beginning to develop over ribs and thighs.
• Backbone: Flat appearance to topline. Individual vertebrae can't be felt unless very firm pressure used.
• Shortribs: Individual short ribs cannot be felt even with firm pressure. Folds of fat beginning to develop over ribs and thurl area.
• Tail head & hooks: Fat cover around tail head evident on both sides as slight "rounds" that are soft to the touch.

Score 5:

• Entire body: Obese. Blocky appearance. Bone structure not noticeable. Mobility impaired by large amounts of fat.
• Backbone: Flat appearance; cannot be felt even with pressure.
• Short ribs: Completely covered in fat; can't be felt even with pressure. Folds of fat apparent over ribs, thurl and thighs.
• Tail head & hooks: Hip bones and tail head to pin head on both sides completely buried in fat.

Canadian and American Comparison:

When comparing the Canadian to the American scoring system or vice versa, there is a mathematical equation that you can use to quickly determine which number from what scoring system coincides with the other scoring system:

CDN BCS = (USA BCS + 1)/2

USA BCS = (CDN BCS -1)2

Both scoring systems are as accurate as the other, it's just a matter of personal choice of which one to use. Be sure though, when talking about condition scoring to other people that you mention what scoring system you are using.

When to Condition Score

Cows should be condition scored three times during the production year, ideally:

- Fall pregnancy check or start of winter feeding (optimum score is 3.0)

- Calving (optimum score 2.5 for mature cows and 3.0 for first-time-calving heifers)

- Thirty (30) days before start of breeding season (optimum score 2.5 for all females)

There is room for variation from these optimum scores just as long as you are aware of the amount of animals that vary from optimum, and if you have a plan in place in case you have to adjust your management criteria to accomodate for the variances. The rule of thumb to follow is that if cattle are thinner than the optimum, fertility drops. On the other end of the scale, as cattle grow fatter than the optimums, herd productivity is not increased, but you are spending more on feed than necessary.

For more information on Body Condition Scoring, check out the web pages posted below.