Whats a Diagram of the Labels of a Beef Cow

A Guide to Udder and Teat Scoring Beef Cows

Resource: Dr. Rick Rasby, Academy of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Introduction

The conformation of a beef cow's teats and udder are important in a profitable cow/calf enterprise. Females with poor udder and teat conformation are a management challenge for commercial moo-cow/calf producers.

• Cattle producers do non have the time or labor to manage effectually cows that need intervention at calving to physically 'milk-out' a quarter(s) so that the calf can suckle or to save the quarter from infection.
• Research findings in ii experiments indicates that the occurrence of clinical mastitis in beef moo-cow herds was 17.5% and 11.ix% resulting in a reduction in weaning weights of 12.5% and seven.iii%, respectively.
• Poor udder and teat conformation tin potentially pb to increased calf sickness as teats may be contaminated with mud and debris from a dirt pen or calving area before the calf suckles.

Although selecting and alternative based on conformation of teats and udders may be considered convenience trait selection, selecting against poor teats and udders increases profit potential by
• increasing calf performance,
• reducing calf sickness,
• increasing longevity of the cow, and
• reducing labor inputs.

Udder and teat conformation is moderately heritable (h2 of udder zipper = 0.2 to 0.3; h2 of teat size = 0.five), and then enhancing teat and udder quality can be accomplished by not selecting replacement heifers from dams that have marginal teat and udder conformation.

Udder Suspension and Teat Size

A strong median suspensory ligament is essential for udder conformation. A weak median suspensory ligament results in a lowing of the flooring of the udder, sometimes below the hock which makes it more than hard for the calf to nurse and the teats may elevate in the mud when the cow walks, and the teats may be suspended in or outward when filled wit milk instead of direct downward.

In Panel 1 are drawings of different median suspensory line which illustrates the force and importance of this ligament. The median suspensory line/ligament in Cartoon 1 is pronounced and would be considered ideal. This type of attachment should allow for the udder to be carried above the hock for many years and teats suspended perpendicular to the footing when fill of milk. Drawings ii and iii in Console 1 illustrate unlike degrees of prominence the median suspensory ligament with the suspensory line in drawing two being more than pronounced and more than favorable than that illustrated in Cartoon 3. Notice as the median suspensory ligament becomes less prominent (weaker) the udder begins to 'sag' below the hock, the teats append closer to the basis. Too find, as the ligament becomes weaker, the teats tend to splay outward from each quarter. This is more pronounced when the udder is engorged with milk. Drawing 4 in Panel 1 illustrates poor udder suspension and no bear witness of a median line. In this situation, the udder volition be suspended below the hock and teats will not append perpendicular from the ground when filled with milk.

Drawings in Panel two illustrate platonic udder suspension from a side view. The ideal udder is tight to the trunk cavity. The flooring of the udder should be level. The four quarters should exist level from the side and rear. Some udders volition slope downwardly from front to rear, which is less than ideal, and rear udder attachment needs to exist high. As the median suspensory ligament becomes less pronounced, the udder floor becomes more rounded.

Common teat sizes and conformations are illustrated in Panel 3 below. Teats should be medium in length and cylindrical in appearance. The diameter should also exist consequent from the meridian of the teat to the lesser with the end of the teat being rounded. The teats should be placed in the centre of each quarter and point perpendicular to the ground. In console two are drawings typical teat conformations. The ideal teat is medium in length, cylindrical in appearance with rounded ends (Panel 3, drawings 1, 2, iii, and 4). Less than ideal teats are less symmetrical and of different sizes and thickness (Panel 3, drawings five, half dozen, and 7); are long, pointed, and different sizes (Console iii, drawing 8), thick, funnel shaped (console 3, drawing nine), or a combination of thick funnel to thick pear shape (Panel iii, drawing 10). Teats should append perpendicular to the ground from the centre of each quarter when they are filled with milk. Sometimes teats will point inward or outward when filled with milk which is less than ideal. Equally teat length lengthens and udder suspension becomes weaker, teats are positioned closer to the ground making it more than hard for the new-born calf to suckle and there is increased risk for teat contamination from the mud or other droppings.

A Clarification of Scoring Udder Interruption and Teat Size

The platonic time to udder score beef cows is inside the starting time 24 to 48 hours after calving equally she begins to freshen. Udder conformation will decline as the female ages, but do non take age into account when assigning an udder score. The post-obit udder scoring organisation was developed by the Beef Comeback Federation. This scoring organisation categorizes udder intermission and teat size. A teat score of ix (very tight, highly desirable) to 1 (pendulous, not desirable) for udder suspension and a score of 9 (very small) to i (very large) for teat size.

The BIF scoring system doesn't business relationship for teat and udder pigmentation. Pigmentation is desirable every bit it is a guard against sunburn of the teat and udder that tin be caused by directly sunshine or reflection of the sun off snowfall.

Udder Suspension

Udder suspension illustrated in Panel 4 below is associated with the BIF Udder Suspension Score. The tighter to the body crenel that the udder is placed, the more desirable. This allows for the dogie to more than easily to locate the teats and it is less likely for the teats to drag in the mud.

Udder Intermission Score 9: The udder is placed tight to the body cavity, well above the hocks and close to the torso cavity. The quarters are more often than not level from the side and rear view. The udder has high rear attachment and the median suspensory ligament is pronounced. Panel iv; Drawing one.

Udder Suspension Score 7: Similar to an udder pause score of 9, but the udder is suspended slightly further from the body cavity. The median suspensory ligament is pronounced keeping the udder level and suspending the teats perpendicular to the ground and to a higher place the hock. Because the medium suspensory ligament is pronounced, the teats suspend perpendicular to the ground when filled with milk. Panel 4; Drawing two.

Udder Suspension Score five: The medium suspensory ligament is less pronounced and the udder is suspended farther from the body cavity. The teats brainstorm to splay slightly outward when engorged with milk because of the weaker ligament. Besides the quarters may non be level. An udder interruption score of 5 is likely the commercial cow average score. Console 4; Drawing 3.

Udder Suspension Score 3: The median suspensory ligament is vague resulting in loose zipper of the udder. The udder is suspended downwardly to the hocks of the cow meaning that the teats reside below the hock. The quarters are non level and teats splay in an outward direction that is very pronounced when engorged with milk. Intervention may be required at calving. Replacement heifer retention from these dams is discouraged. Panel four; Cartoon 4.

Udder Suspension Score one: The median suspensory ligament is absent resulting in a loose and pendulous zipper of the udder. The udder suspends below the hocks and teats reside below the hock. The quarters are not level and teats are not perpendicular to the ground when filled with milk. Intervention is required at calving. Intervention definitely required to avoid a spoiled quarter or mastitis. Replacements should non be kept from these dams and producers should choose these cows. Panel 4; Drawing 5.

Teat Size

Teat size can vary considerably. Console 5 below contains drawings of teat sizes associated with the BIF scoring system. As teat size becomes smaller, more symmetrical, and more primal in placement on the quarter, it is more desirable. Teat size tin can be generally categorized as very small-scale, pocket-size, intermediate, large, and very large. It is seldom that cattle accept the very pocket-size teat size. More common are the small, intermediate, and large teat size. As teat size becomes larger they tend to be thicker, less symmetrical, and suspend below the hock.

Teat Score nine: Teats are very pocket-size in length, rounded at the ends, and symmetrical. Teats are located in the middle of the quarters and face perpendicular to the ground. Panel 5; Drawing 1.

Teat Score seven: Similar to teat score of 9, but the teats are longer. Teats are located in the middle of the quarters and face perpendicular to the basis. Panel 5; Drawing ii.

Teat Score v: Teats are longer, larger in diameter, announced to be thicker, and are less symmetrical compared to teat size ix, 8, 7, and 6. They may not be perpendicular to the ground or centered on the quarters. Console five; Drawing three.

Teat Score 3: The teats are long and large in diameter, announced thicker, and non symmetrical. They may appear to exist funnel shaped. The teats may appear to begin to airship at the point of attachment to the quarter. Considering the teats are long, they are unremarkably suspended below the hock. When engorged with milk, teats will not be perpendicular to the ground. Intervention is usually required at calving. Replacement heifer retentivity from these dams is discouraged. Panel v; Cartoon iv.

Teat Score i: The teats are long, announced thick, and usually large and funnel/pear shaped. Teats append well below the hock which makes it difficult for a new-built-in calf to notice, attach, and suckle. Intervention is required at calving. Intervention definitely required to avoid a spoiled quarter or mastitis. Replacements should not exist kept from these dams and producers should cull these females from the herd. Panel five; Drawing five.

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Source: https://beef.unl.edu/learning/udder_score.shtml

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