A comparison of two scales of body condition scoring in Hereford x Friesian beef breeding cows

Abstract

Condition scoring is an easy to use management tool that can assist farmers to monitor their feeding regimes, allowing both better feed and animal management. The relationship between two commonly used condition score systems utilised by New Zealand beef cattle farmers was investigated. Results indicated that there is not a simple relationship between the 0-5 condition score and the 1-10 score system. The relationship varies throughout the year and a single calibration equation should not be used when converting data from one system to the other. Despite this, the use of condition scoring in beef cow herds should be encouraged and operators can use either system, as long as care is taken when interpreting data from publications using different scales. Keywords: beef cows, cattle, condition score, liveweight