Of Zebu Cattle
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OF ZEBU CATTLE M.J. Nicholson and M.H. Butterworth JUNE 1986 INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK CENTRE FOR AFRICA p.O. BOX 5689, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are indebted to G. C. KifaroJ. LIambourne, A. R. MaclaurinJ. Mclntire, E. 0. Otchere, N. Pathiraja and C F. D'Souza fbr their useful comments. Correct citation: Nicholson M J and Butterworth M H. 1986. A guide to condition scoring of zebu cattle. International Livestock Centre for Africa, Addis Ababa. ISBN 92-9053--068-5 2 INTRODUCTION mation, and hence changes in body composition, may therefore be masked by small errors in tech nique if heart girth is used. It is usefhl to quantify the extent to which cattle The nutritional plane to which an animal has are aflected by nutrition, disease or other environ- been exposed over a reasonable length of time is mental factors, especially when large fluctuations reflected by the extent to which fat is stored or in the quantity and quality of available forage muscle mass has diminished. This may be assessed occur, as they do in seasonally dry tropical and visually and expressed as a condition score. subtropical areas. Such monitoring is usually done by measuring changes in weight or heart girth, but these tech niques have a number of disadvantages. First. WHY CONDITION SCORING? weigh scales are cunilnersome, expensive and dif ficult to transport. Second, weight per se does not reflect an a.iimal's condition: an animal with a For those involved in cattle research in Africa, con large frame may have a higher body weight when dition scoring provides a quick, cheap and easy at a low level of body reserves than another animal method of comparing herds ofcattle or individual with a small frame but abundant reserves; animals animals under diflring management systems, ex must therefore be individually identified to record peritnental treatments, seasons or environments. seasonal weight change. Third, large variations in Large numbers ofanimals can be scored at a time gross !iveweight may occur as a result of changes without the need to handle them or use weigh in gut and bladder fill, pregnancy and parturition. scales. Condition scoring is a subjective assess Moreover, weight changes may reflect tissue hydra- ment, but with practice a high level of repeatability tion rather than significant alterations in body and reproducibility can be obtained both between protein or fat content. workers and between observations (Croxton and Measuring the heai tgirth require. that indi- Stollard, 1976; Nicholson and Sayers, 1986a). vidual animals be restrained, and results vary The resulting data are useful both at the time of according to posture, positioning and tension of collection, to detect differences between groups, the tape, coat thickness and gut fill. Weight esti- and over time, to disclose changes within groups. 3 The results also have practical importance for in iiarketing of live cattle would find condition cattle productivity. Coinception has been posi- scoring useful in estimating expected saleable tively correlated with condition scores by sex ral meat (Kiflaro, personal conmiunicalion; Tan:,i. aut hors (Eliot, 1964; Ward, 1968; llarwin et al, nian Ministry of Iivestock v)cvclolpment, 1982). 1967; Kilkenny, 1978). Steenkamp ct al (1975) coml)ar'd aimal of diliring condition scores utit similar livex, eight, and showed that condition HOW TO CONDITION SCORE ait mating vas more importan t (hai weight alt mating fiw succecssfl conception. Siilar work was carried out by Vall Nicked (I982), who al- Several authors hve (described methods of' al located cows into groups according to conditioii locating a score or index of' body condition. The score aiicl finind calving rate('Sof 78%, fr anianals East of'Scotland College of'Agricut ure (Lowman illoptimal (otidilion conlaiv;ed with only 8% fbr cI al, 1976) produced ithandbook de,;cribing a cows ilpoorest conIdition. The interval rom Ihe way' of' ass'ssing the body condition of stickler start of'the mating .-:,-ason to palrurition decrea sed cows, growing beef' cattle and suckled calves of' from 3 16 to 293 davs as the condition of the cow I',uriopea n breeds illder tempei'tte conldit ions. improved. Pat hiikia (pe'soal commnication) Buxtoii (1982) prodlced an index t6r dairy cattle Itmud that condition scores we'e um'filifr select- in New Zealand using titn 8-score system. How ing fartlms fbr ar6ficial insemination, ever, tlhese handbooks are not apl)plical)le br (ro) Reed (t a!(I97.1) reiorted a highly plsitiv( ical breeds tf' cattle, which difti' fi' ln temperate corr'la tion blet ween condition and resourcet' avail- breeds in fAt(l depositicon. Moreover,the scales used ability (finance, management skill and grazing do not coverit wide enough iange of IlIel poorer availability), indicating that condition scoring is (onditions seen inAf'ican livestcwk. usef'til not oily fi)r resva i'ch scientists but aolso fbr The difl'erent requirements ol'codition scoring fhrners and developmnt planners. Codition fbi'nEuropean and Af'ricail cattle havei)ct'n recog scoi'ing c'at ataslaughter hacs shown that, ;amhong nizecd by Pullam (1978) who descrilbed a mcthodl an inials oft'he sa i age aind sex, liveweights. car- by which White Flfani cattle were scored on a' cass weights and edille tissue yield are highly cor- scale fi'om 0 to 5 in Nigeria, and vi Niekerk and related with condition score. Thus those involved louw (1980) who scored Af'rikander cattle on a 4 scale of five points, using half-point increments have horizontal 'wings' (the transverse proces where t more accurate relection of the animal's ses), and all 19 vertebrae have vertical processes conditin was necessary, known as dorsal spines or spinous processes. The In the method described here fbr Bos indicus sull]mbar fbssa is a triangular area under the (zebu) cattle, nine scores are used in which the transverse processes beneath which is the rurnen three main conditions - (fat IFJ, mCdiurn I MI and on tile left side. When the fjssa is indented (see lean [L]) -- are subdivided into three categories. Figure 6), it does i ot necessarily mean that the 'he scores are abhbrcviated as I-+, F, F-; Ni +, animal's condition is poor but rathT thAt gut con NI, NI-; L+, 1 a(nd I.. Each scoring is given t telnts (water or fiod) are at at low level. number From I (IL-) to)9 ("+). In a borderline '1lw score ol'aii animal depends oit the visibility 'ase it half' point is added to thc lo,er score, so ofttlieanatolical parts, and tl liesh and lt cover that a cow described as NI -/ I+ is scored as 3.5. at these pooin ts. A (h'tailed (escri)tion ofhow the The Iidlowing anatomical parts (Figure I) are diflerejit sctoies are assesscd is given oI p;ge 6. Ex important ill detelininiiig the score: tail-head, ailles ofcattle ill the variolus cat'gorieMs used in brisket and hunip; transveirse pioc(ess(' of' the this inanial are given ii I'igur:'s 2 - 10 a and 1), lumilbar vertebra , hips (ti-ochaiter m; jor) and showing side aii rear vicws. ribs, the shape of the mut1scle nmss bet-vwl the" Cattle should preferably be scored early in the tubr cvae (h ,ks) and tuber i.%hii (pins): the. wiorse morning, having had no access to fitod iw water hec Comdition, Ihe twet" concave lhe in uscle b- overnight. The anthnrs, cx)criect. has shown com.csi.ll order to avoid conf'usion ill identifying that wateriig significantly abers the assessment of lthe parts, at few g encral conlinclits are requirel. condition scores, particularly wher- cattle are The vertebiral column rct.rs to) the suni ofall the watered oiniy ev ry second or third day. \ll classes verte rlae, which are divided inuto cervical (7), of cartl may bit scored, but lactatin'g cows are thoracic (13), lumbar (Ii), sacral (G fused x'ere- normalhy chosen as thesc i-e likelv !.o be nost brae fi-miing he sacrtlli). and the coccygeal ver- afli'cted by poor nutrition. Scoring has been ,fim'ud Melrae (18-2(0) in the tail. Of these only the to i) least reliale in the c;ase of'y)ting cal;vs and thoracic and the lbtiilar verleb-a( arve i inupirl- weaners, as growing aninals tend not to have aince - r condition scoring. Ribs am-c attach, d to heavy deposits oflfit. the thoracic vertebrac while the lumbar verttebiae 5 Description of condition scores Score Condition Features be seen, but are easily felt. Score Condition Featrres (Figure 7). L - Marked emaciation (animal 7 F - Animal smooth and well cover would be condemned at ante ed, but t'at deposits are not mortem examination). (Fig- marked. Dorsal spines can be ures 2 and 11). felt with firm pressure, but 2 L Transverse processes project feel rounded rather than sharp. prominently, neural spines (Figure 8). appear sharply. (Figure 3). 8 F Fat cover in critical areas can 3 L + Individual dorsal spines are be easily seen and felt; trans pointed to the touch; hips, verse processes cannot be pins, tail-head and kibs are seen or felt. (Figure 9). prominent. Transverse pro- 9 F+ Heavy deposits of fat clearly cesses visible, usually indi- visible on tail-head, brisket vidually. (Figure 4). and cod; dorsal spines, ribs, hooks and pins fully covered 4 M - Ribs, hips and pins clearly and cannot be felt even with visible. Muscle mass between firm pressure. (Figure 10). hooks and pins slightly con cave. Slightly more flesh above the transverse pro cesses than inn, +. (Figure 5). HOW TO USE THE DATA M Ribs usually visible, little ftt cover, dorsal spines barely The advantage of a nine-point system is that, pro visible.