ScoringSystem : Services : Scoring Criteria : Scoring Reference
Emaciated:
Thin:
Average
Heavy
Fat
| Condition score | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat Cow | 5.00 | overall appearance | - |
| 4.75 | - | Hook bone just visible | |
| 4.50 | Flat | Pin bone not visible | |
| 4.25 | - | Tips of transverse processes not visible | |
| Heavy Cow | 4.00 | Flat U | No visible sacral or coccygeal ligaments Transverse processes just visible |
| 3.75 | - | Tail head ligament not visible Sacral ligament barely visible |
|
| Too Fat | |||
| 3.50 | U | Coocygeal ligament barely visible Sacral ligament visible |
|
| 3.25 | - | Sacral/coccygeal ligaments visible | |
| Average Cow | >3.0 | U | Sacral/coccygeal ligaments appearance |
| START - Rump V or U | |||
| <3.0 | V | Hook and pin bone fat pads | |
| 2.75 | - | Hook is angular/pin padded | |
| 2.50 | - | Hook is angular/pin is angular palpable fat pad on pin |
|
| Too Thin | |||
| <2.5 | V | Hook and pin bone angular Look at transverse processes |
|
| 2.25 | - | Short ribs Transverse processe edge to spine .5-.6 tip to spine |
|
| Thin Cow | 2.00 | - | .75 tip to spine |
| 1.75 | - | Thurl bone appearance Spine, overall appearance |
|
| 1.5 | - | Foreribs visible | |
| 1.25 | - | Bones visible Muscle loss |
|
| Emaciated Cow | 1.0 | - | Little muscle left |
What's the cow's score?
![[Cow]](https://www.scoringag.com/scoringag/3/Public/cow25.png)
Thin:
Average
Heavy
Fat
Chart Reference:
Ferguson, J. D., D. T. Galligan and N. Thomsen. 1994. Principal descriptors of body condition score in holstein cows. J. Dairy Sci., 77:2695-2703.
Content questions? Dr Jim Ferguson: ferguson@cahp.vet.upenn.edu
