Body measurements Info

Measurement is the first step in successful management. Body measurements of 110 beef cows of 9 breeds hungarian simmental hereford aberdeen angus red angus lincoln red shaver charolais limousin and blonde daquitaine were taken in december. They can be purchased for cattle sheep goats hogs and horses through various livestock supply companies. Body condition score bcs is an easy inexpensive but subjective method to evaluate the body tissue reserves of lactating cows independent of frame size and body weight bw. Body measurement data were combined with production data and consisted of 1898 lactation records from 771 cows by 131 sires. Cattle body condition scores play a pivotal role in maximizing fertility in your breeding herd.

Body parts of a bullcow have names fig. The research farm which has been described in detail 2 3 9 16 19 26 is operated under reasonably typical iowa conditions and is used primarily for long term dairy cattle breeding research. Interestingly compared to other things a dairy cows weighs similar to the heart of a blue whale which weighs about 1300 lbs which is just a small part of a whales massive body. Dairy sci 80 1997 pp. 3 measurement methods and standard measurements when a cowbull is measured for body parts the animal needs to be standing with the correct posture. Girth and convert that measurement to a fairly accurate estimate of the animals body weight.

Estimation of body weight from body size measurements and body condition scores in dairy cows article pdf available in journal of dairy science 8091988 95 october 1997 with 483 reads. Kristensenestimation of body weight from body size measurements and body condition scores in dairy cows j. Dairy cows also weigh pretty similar to grizzly and polar bears which both weigh an average of 1150 lbs. Weigh tapes are easy to use and can be utilized effectively for monitoring purposes when used in a consistent manner by the same person. It was hypothesised that reticular temperature ret values reflect the physiological status of the animals in an equivalent way to rectal rt and vaginal vt measurements. During the early lactation period mobilization of body reserve for milk production induces a negative energy balance that has been reported to affect the reproductive performance of dairy cows 2.

Roughly speaking jerseys would weigh the same as a grizzly or polar bear. The aim of the research described here was to compare different methods of body temperature bt measurements in dairy cows. 1 but normally for the assessment of a dairy cow the body part names shown in fig. Data were collected between 1968 and 1986. While its not hard to see whether cows are getting thinner or fatter body condition scores provide a consistent standardized measurement system.