Achieving growth targets is the key to getting heifers to calve at the ideal time and optimum weight. This, in turn, has a dramatic effect on the cost to bring a heifer into the herd and on future lactation performance.
Body condition scoring is a valuable tool for producers to assess the growth of the heifer. Body condition is a function of feed intake and the amount of energy in the diet. Too much energy will produce an over-conditioned heifer. Too little energy will produce a bony thinner heifer.
The ideal body condition score is different at different stages of the heifer’s life. These photos and scores represent the ideal score for heifers.
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Newborn 2.0 The newborn calf will have a body condition score of about 2.0. Until she has been on feed for a few weeks, she won’t have much flesh. Condition 2 has some flesh over the spinous process, but hooks, pins and spinous process are prominent. A depression between hooks and pins and a prominent tailhead can be observed. Her overall frame is obvious.
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6 Months 3.0 At six months, a heifer will have more flesh over the vertebrae, ribs, hooks, and pins. Hooks and pins are rounded and smooth. A moderate depression can be observed between the hooks, and a depression between hooks and pins. Frame is well-covered and well-balanced.
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12 Months 3.25 At one year the heifer has adequate flesh over the spinous process and between the hooks and pins. At this stage, even though the heifer is growing rapidly, you don’t want a score of more than 4, which would indicate too much energy in the diet.
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15 Months 3.5 This breeding age heifer has flesh over the spinous process and a slight depression between the hooks and pins. Her vertebrae are not prominent and her hooks and pins are smooth.
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24 Months 3.75 This heifer will soon enter the milking herd. She has adequate flesh in all areas. Her hooks and pins are not prominent. A slight slope can be observed between hooks and pins. Spinous process is not evident. Frame is well-covered, becoming less visible. This will translate into better milk production after she calves..
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| Body Condition Scoring Chart | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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SCORE | Spinous Process (SP) (anatomy varies) |
Spinous to Transverse processes | Transverse processes | Overhanging shelf (care - rumen fill) |
SCORE | Tuber coxae (hooks) & Tuber ischii (pins) | Between pins and hooks |
Between the hooks | Tailhead to pins (anatomy varies) | SCORE |
| SEVERE UNDERCONDITIONING (emaciated) | 1.0 | individual processes distinct, giving a saw-tooth appearance | deep
depression |
very prominent >1/2 length visible | definite shelf, gaunt, tucked | 1.00 | extremely sharp, no tissue cover | severe depression devoid of flesh | severely
depressed |
bones very prominent with deep "V" shaped cavity under tail | 1.00 |
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1.25 |  |
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1.25 |  |
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1.25 |
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1.50 | |
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1.50 | |
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1.50 |
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1.75 | |
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1/2 length of process visible | |
1.75 | |
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1.75 |
| FRAME OBVIOUS | 2.00 | individual processes evident | obvious depression | |
prominent shelf | 2.00 | prominent | very sunken |  |
bones prominent "U" shaped cavity formed under tail | 2.00 |
|
2.25 |  |
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between 1/2 to 1/3 processes visible |  |
2.25 | |
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2.25 |
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2.50 | sharp, prominent ridge |  |
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|
2.50 | |
thin flesh
covering |
definite
depression |
first evidence of fat | 2.50 |
|
2.75 | |
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1/3 - 1/4
visible |
moderate shelf | 2.75 | |
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2.75 |
| FRAME & COVERING WELL BALANCED | 3.00 |  |
smooth concave curve | < 1/4 visible | slight shelf | 3.00 | smooth | depression | moderate depression | |
3.00 |
|
3.25 | |
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appears smooth, TP's just discernible |  |
3.25 | |
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bones smooth, cavity under tail shallow & fatty tissue lined | 3.25 |
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3.50 | smooth ridge, the SP's not evident | smooth slope | distinct ridge, no individual processes discernible |  |
3.50 | covered | slight depression | slight depression |  |
3.50 |
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3.75 | |
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|
3.75 | |
sloping | |
|
3.75 |
| FRAME NOT AS VISIBLE AS COVERING | 4.00 | flat, no processes discernible | nearly flat | smooth, rounded edge | none | 4.00 | rounded with fat |  |
flat |
bones rounded with fat and slight fat-filled depression under tail | 4.00 |
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4.25 | |
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4.25 | |
flat | |
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4.25 |
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4.50 | |
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edge barely discernible | |
4.50 | buried in fat | |
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bones buried in fat, cavity filled with fat forming tissue folds | 4.50 |
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4.75 |  |
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4.75 |  |
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4.75 |
| SEVERE OVERCONDITIONING | 5.00 | buried in fat | rounded (convex) | buried in fat | bulging | 5.00 | |
rounded | rounded |  |
5.00 |
Reprinted with permission from Roche Animal Nutrition and Health 1993 by Hoffman-LaRoche inc. RCD 8895
