Scoring guides
What each score looks like and the targets for every stage: body condition, manure and rumen fill.
Scale 1–5 in 0.25 steps. Look at the spine, hooks, pins and tailhead from behind and from the side.
Very thinSpine, hooks and pins sharp and prominent; deep cavity around the tailhead; no fat.
ThinIndividual spinous processes visible; hooks and pins prominent; slight fat under the skin.
AverageSpine rounded; hooks and pins smooth; tailhead area slightly padded.
HeavySpine felt only with pressure; hooks rounded; fat patches around the tailhead.
FatBone structure hardly visible; tailhead buried in fat; thighs bulge outwards.
Targets by stage
| Stage | Target BCS |
|---|---|
| Dry-off | 3,0–3,5 |
| Calving | 3,0–3,5 |
| Early lactation (peak) | 2,75–3,0 |
| Late lactation | 3,0–3,25 |
| Heifers at calving | 3,0–3,5 |
Cows should lose no more than about 0.5–0.75 points after calving.
Score fresh manure from several cows in the same group; the group pattern matters more than a single pat.
Very liquid, like pea soup; arcs when it falls.
Excess protein/starch, low fibre, or illness
Runny, spreads out, splashes; under 2.5 cm high.
Lush pasture, fresh cows, low effective fibre
Porridge-like, 4–5 cm pile with rings; ideal for milking cows.
Balanced ration
Thick, over 5 cm; a boot does not sink in.
Dry cows, low protein, high forage
Firm, stacked balls.
Straw-only diets, dehydration, blockageTargets
| Group | Target score |
|---|---|
| Fresh cows | 2,5–3 |
| Milking cows | 3 |
| Late lactation | 3–3,5 |
| Dry cows | 3,5–4 |
Look at the left flank (paralumbar fossa) from behind the cow on her left side. The score shows how much she ate in the last hours.
Deep hollow: skin folds inward under the lumbar spine; the flank is more than a hand wide. The cow has eaten little or nothing.
Skin behind the last rib folds inward; hollow about a hand wide. Common in the first week after calving; too low later.
Skin drops vertically a hand’s width below the lumbar spine, then bulges out. Target for milking cows.
Skin curves outward just below the lumbar spine; the hollow is barely visible. Late lactation and dry cows.
Rumen fills the flank fully; no hollow, skin tight over the loin. Dry cows.
Targets
| Group | Target score |
|---|---|
| Fresh cows (first week) | ≥ 2 |
| Milking cows | 3–4 |
| Dry cows | 4–5 |
Scales after Edmonson et al. (1989) for BCS, Hutjens (Univ. of Illinois) for manure and Zaaijer & Noordhuizen (2003) for rumen fill. Illustrations are representative drawings; the view for BCS is from behind, for rumen fill from the cow’s left side (head to the left).