Body Condition Scoring
System
Maxine Kinne
Illustrations by Sunny Larsen
This body condition scoring was developed for the National Pygmy Goat
Association in 1995 to address the
unfortunate consequences of obesity and its relationship to dystocia. The Board
of Directors immediately approved it for inclusion in the Judges Training
Manual. To my knowledge, it has not been included, and judges are not trained to
use it. Illustrations show loin structure, the regions of the back between the ribs and hips.
Descriptions are what you feel on the loin with firm fingertip pressure. Also
discussed are in bones, or tuber ischii, part of the pelvis and located
at either side of the vulva in does and the same location in bucks. Other
versions of condition scoring describe fat padding on chest
floor and how it correlates with features included in this system. Each of the five
categories has a descriptive title and a score number. Padding over the ribs
is never used to accurately judge body condition.
Parts of the Loin
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Spinous processes are the bones felt on top of the back. Vertebral processes are the long bones
horizontal to the spine. The vertebral angle is the triangle
between the top of the spinous process, the edge of the vertebral process
and the skin. The muscle inside this angle is the longissimus, or eye muscle,
a roast or part of a T-bone steak.
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1 POOR |
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Loin
Rump
Pins |
No muscle on edges of transverse process, bones very sharp,
thin skin
Vertebral angle has little muscle and is very concave
Spinous processes very prominent with no muscle in between
Sharp outline visible; no muscle between skin and bones
Very sharp, no padding |
Features Skeleton has little or no muscle. Hollows in
the flanks below the loin are very concave.
Causes Poor diet, disease, parasitism, lactation,
or any combination of these.
Problems Slow growth rate in kids; stunting in growing animals,
conception failure, abortion,
weak or dead newborns,
metabolic disease during pregnancy, very susceptible to disease.
Solutions Better nutrition, management and herd health
program. Evaluate disease status.
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2 THIN |
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Loin
Rump
Pins |
Muscle extends to the edges of transverse process, spacing
can be
felt between the vertebral processes, thin skin
Outline slightly contoured; light padding but bones still somewhat
prominent and very easy to feel
Sharp, little padding
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Features Skeleton has some muscle. Hollows in the flanks
below the loin are somewhat concave.
Causes Poor diet, disease, parasitism, lactation
or any combination of these.
Problems Slow growth rate in kids and growing animals, metabolic
disease, weak or dead newborns,
susceptible to disease.
Solutions Better nutrition, management and herd health program.
Evaluate disease status.
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3 GOOD |
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Loin
Rump
Pins |
Muscle and subcutaneous fat covers edges of vertebral process;
individual bones are somewhat distinct
Smooth, without signs of fat; pelvic bones and spine are distinct
Slight pressure needed to feel the pin bones |
Features Muscle over skeleton felt with gentle pressure.
Firm pressure is not needed to feel bones.
Hollows
in the flanks are barely concave or level with the surrounding area of the
sides.
Problems None. Maintain condition at 3 or slightly higher,
depending on age and production status.
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Scores 1-3 represent muscle growth/expansion
Muscle does not grow after score 3.
Scores 4 and 5 represent fat accumulation
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4 FAT |
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Loin
Rump
Pins |
Vertebral processes indistinct and firm pressure needed to feel them
Vertebral angle rounded but not yet bulging over spinous processes
Spinous process spacing difficult to detect; spine felt as a hard line
Heavily padded with fat; bones can only be felt with firm pressure
Heavily padded with fat, and firm pressure needed to feel them |
Features Very firm pressure needed to feel all bony
structures.
Causes Feeding in excess, limited exercise.
Problems Inhibited locomotion, easily tired, orthopedic
abnormalities, dystocia, metabolic disease.
Solutions Reduce plane of nutrition, provide exercise.
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5 OBESE |
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Loin
Rump
Pins |
Edge of vertebral processes and spacing between too fat to feel bones
Vertebral angle bulges over the level of the spinous processes
Spine lies in the center of a groove of fat
Buried in fat, bones very indistinct
Buried in fat, hard to locate |
Features Bones covered with a thick layer of fat over
the muscle are very hard to feel.
Causes Feeding in excess, limited exercise.
Problems Inhibited locomotion, easily tired, orthopedic
abnormalities, infertility, dystocia,
metabolic disease.
Solutions Reduce plane of nutrition,
provide exercise.
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Evaluate Body Condition Score (BCS)
The term body condition refers to the fleshing of an animal. Because the greatest potential for goats is to graze them with beef cattle, we have devised a 1 to 9-point graduated scale, adapted from the beef system used in North Carolina. In that graduated scale, thin is 1 to 3, moderate is 4 to 6 and fat is 7 to 9. In most situations, goats should be in the range of 4 to 7. Scores of 1 to 3 indicate a problem, and scores of 8 to 9 are almost never seen in goats.
BODY CONDITION SCORING CHART
BCS 1 |
Extremely thin. |
Extremely thin and weak, near death. |
BCS 2 |
Extremely thin. |
Extremely thin but not weak. |
BCS 3 |
Very thin. |
All ribs visible. Spinous processes prominent and very sharp.
No fat cover felt with some muscle wasting. |
BCS 4 |
Slightly thin. |
Most ribs visible. Spinous processes sharp. Individual processes
can be easily felt. Slight fat cover can be felt over the eye muscle. |
BCS 5 |
Moderate. |
Spinous processes felt but are smooth. Some fat cover felt
over eye muscle. |
BCS 6 |
Good. |
Smooth look with ribs not very visible. Spinous processes
smooth and round. Individual processes very smooth, felt with considerable
pressure. Significant fat cover felt over eye muscle. |
BCS 7 |
Fat. |
Ribs not visible, spinous process felt under firm pressure.
Considerable fat felt over eye muscle. |
BCS 8 |
Obese. |
Animal is very fat with spinous processes difficult to feel.
Ribs can not be felt. Animal has blocky obese appearance. |
BCS 9
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Extremely obese. |
Similar to an eight but more exaggerated. Animal has deep
patchy fat over entire body. |
SUMMARY - BODY CONDITION
To monitor and fine tune nutrition program
To "head off" parasite problem
Visual evaluation is not adequate, has to touch and feel animal
Areas to be monitored
- Tail head
- Ribs
- Pins
- Hocks
- Edge of loin
- Shoulder
- Back bone
- Longissimus dorsi
Scale
- Thin 1 to 3
- Moderate 4 to 6
- Fat 7 to 9
Recommendations
- End of pregnancy 5 to 6
- Start of breeding season 5 to 6
- Animals should never have a body condition score of 1 to 3
- Pregnant does should not have a body condition score of 7 or above toward the end of pregnancy because of the risk of pregnancy toxemia
- A body condition score of 5 to 6 at kidding should not drop off too quickly
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