Methods for assessing the productive type and conformation of livestock animals

Comparison of conformation: dairy and beef type of cattle

In practical animal husbandry, a visual assessment of physique allows for the quick determination of an animal’s economic purpose and productive potential. Cattle of different production types have fundamental differences in trunk structure, muscle development, and internal organs. A comparison between Ayrshire dairy cows and Charolais beef cattle clearly illustrates these differences in practice.

For the correct selection of cattle into a herd and the culling of unproductive individuals, the zootechnician must be guided by a complex of anatomical features. The main markers of dairy and beef production types are shown in the table.

Topographical landmarks for assessing the conformation of main animal species

For error-free appraisal and assessment of animal constitution, it is necessary to accurately determine the location of key body parts. Standardized anatomical points for various species of livestock animals and poultry are listed below.

• Body parts for horse assessment — 47
• Body parts for sheep assessment — 29
• Body parts for rabbit assessment — 29
• Body parts for rooster assessment — 25

When conducting an assessment on the farm, it is recommended to follow a strict order of examination.

1. Determine the production type of the animal based on general body proportions.
2. Assess muscle development, skin thickness, and skeletal density.
3. Conduct a detailed inspection of individual body parts from top to bottom and front to back according to topographical diagrams.

When appraising, use the following lists of body parts for each species:

• Holstein cow (dairy type): 1. Occipital crest; 2. Forehead; 3. Muzzle; 4. Lower jaw; 5. Neck; 6. Nape; 7. Brisket; 8. Sternum; 9. Withers; 10. Shoulder blade; 11. Scapulohumeral joint; 12. Elbow; 13. Forearm; 14. Carpus; 15. Metacarpus; 16. Pastern; 17. Hoof; 18. Claw; 19. Back; 20. Loin; 21. Flank/stifle fold; 22. Milk wells; 23. Milk veins; 24. Udder; 25. Teats; 26. Hooks (tuber coxae); 27. Rump/sacrum; 28. Pins (tuber ischii); 29. Thigh; 30. Patella; 31. Hock; 32. Tail switch; 33. Shank; 34. Metatarsus.
• Russian Polled bull (beef type): 1. Nostrils; 2. Muzzle; 3. Forehead; 4. Ears; 5. Neck; 6. Prescapular groove; 7. Shoulder; 8. Brisket/side; 9. Cheek; 10. Brisket/front; 11. Brisket; 12. Forearm; 13. Ankle; 14. Chest/behind leg; 15. Front flank; 16. Ribs/thin edge; 17. Back; 18. Loin/sirloin; 19. Hooks (tuber coxae); 20. Flank/stifle fold; 21. Scrotum; 22. Sacrum/rump or thick sirloin; 23. Tail head; 24. Pin bones; 25. Round-shank/middle of thigh; 26. Inside round/round; 27. Rear ankle; 28. Tail.
• Hybrid pig (beef type): Snout; Front flank; Front leg; Hind leg.
• Manych Merino sheep (wool type): 1. Muzzle; 2. Mouth; 3. Nostrils; 4. Lips; 5. Nose; 6. Cheek; 7. Forehead; 8. Eyes; 9. Ears; 10. Neck; 11. Prescapular groove; 12. Withers; 13. Shoulder; 14. Chest; 15. Breast; 16. Front leg; 17. Back; 18. Loin; 19. Flank; 20. Ribs; 21. Front flank; 22. Belly; 23. Hind flank; 24. Rump; 25. Hind leg (round); 26. Girth; 27. Tail head; 28. Breech; 29. Hind leg.
• Kuchin rooster (meat-egg type): 1. Beak; 2. Eyes; 3. Comb; 4. Ears; 5. Wattles; 6. Earlobes; 7. Hackle; 8. Back; 9. Loin; 10. Shoulder feathers; 11. Chest; 12. Wing coverts; 13. Secondary flight feathers; 14. Primary flight feathers; 15. Belly; 16. Shank; 17. Heel; 18. Sickle feather; 19. Tail feathers; 20. Small sickle feathers; 21. Saddle feathers; 22. Tail base; 23. Metatarsus; 24. Spur; 25. Toe.
• Riding horse (dark bay): 1. Forehead; 2. Nasal bridge; 3. Nostrils; 4. Upper lip; 5. Lower lip; 6. Chin; 7. Eyes; 8. Ears; 9. Cheek; 10. Poll; 11. Mane; 12. Neck; 13. Jowl; 14. Jugular groove; 15. Withers; 16. Back; 17. Loin; 18. Rump; 19. Ribs (rib cage); 20. Chest; 21. Flank; 22. Hook (tuber coxae); 23. Tail head; 24. Tail; 25. Girth; 26. Shoulder blade; 27. Scapulohumeral joint; 28. Shoulder; 29. Elbow; 30. Forearm; 31. Carpus; 32. Metacarpus; 33. Tendon; 34. Fetlock joint; 35. Pastern; 36. Coronet; 37. Hoof heel; 38. Hoof; 39. Thigh; 40. Pin bone (tuber ischii); 41. Buttock; 42. Stifle joint; 43. Shank; 44. Hock; 45. Metatarsus; 46. Fetlock hair (spurs); 47. Chestnuts.
• Russian goat (dairy type): 1. Eyes; 2. Poll; 3. Horns; 4. Topline; 5. Thigh; 6. Hock; 7. Hoof; 8. Lower belly; 9. Brisket; 10. Shoulder blade; 11. Upper chest; 12. Chest girth; 13. Side.
• Rabbit: 1. Ear flap; 2. Tail head; 3. Crown; 4. Forehead; 5. Eye; 6. Nose; 7. Nostril; 8. Upper lip; 9. Lower lip; 10. Whiskers; 11. Cheek; 12. Poll; 13. Throat; 14. Neck; 15. Brisket; 16. Back; 17. Loin; 18. Rib cage; 19. Belly; 20. Side; 21. Elbow; 22. Front limb; 23. Paw with toes; 24. Rump; 25. Thigh; 26. Knee; 27. Hock; 28. Tail; 29. Nape.

Short, thick, with a hump, 12. Neck with thin, folded skin, the jugular groove is not sunken 13. Chest Deep, moderately wide Deep, wide

Shoulder 14. Well-filled, without hollows Well-filled, convex

Extend from the spine Extend from the spine 15. Ribs at an acute angle at a right angle

Long, moderately wide, Moderately long, wide, 17. Back

Moderately long, wide, 18. Loin Long, wide, straight straight, level 19. Rump Wide, long, straight Wide, level, straight

No. Conformation Characteristic features of cow exterior Item Dairy type Beef type 1 2 3 4 20. Belly Voluminous, barrel-shaped Voluminous, cylindrical

Large, glandular, 21. Udder suitable for machine milking Small, glandular

Sufficiently developed 22. Teats cylindrical or

Milk veins 23. Thick, tortuous Thin, straight

Udder capacity Large, a lot after milking 24. Small

Legs Correctly set, Widely set, 25.

front not widely set properly set widely set. 26. Legs rear set. On the thigh (breech) moderately developed 27. Tail Long, thin Short, thick

Feminine, characteristic of Feminine, characteristic 28. General appearance

Task 4. Describe the conformation of dairy and beef cattle according to the attached scheme. Determine the features in the exterior of dairy and beef cattle, highlighting the corresponding expression of the dairy cow's conformation features with a solid line, and the beef one with a dashed line.

Scheme for describing cattle conformation: Farm name Cow name production type Cow name production type Head: normal, "bull-like", dry, coarse. Horns: coarse, light, short, long. Neck: short, thick, thin, straight, cut out with a hump. Neck folds: many, few, none, small, large. Dewlap: large, small, none. Withers: wide, straight, split, sunken, high. Chest: deep, shallow, wide, narrow. Back: wide, straight, narrow, sagging, "arch-like".

Loin: wide, narrow, straight, flat, "roof-like". Rump: wide, narrow, straight, strongly – weakly sloping, long, short. Pin bone protrusion: large, small, none. Roof-like shape: expressed, strong, none. Belly: tucked up, rounded, sagging. Flank: large, small, filled, hollow. Tail: thin, thick, long, short. Rib spacing: wide, narrow. Skin on the last rib: thick, thin, loose, tight. Udder: large, small, well extended forward, glandular, fatty. Quarters of the udder: developed evenly – unevenly, separated sharply – not sharply. Teats: long, short, thick, thin, conical, cylindrical, pear-shaped, bottle-shaped, close-set, widely set. Udder capacity: large, small. Milk mirror: large, small. Udder skin: thin, thick. Hair on the udder: coarse, fine, dense, sparse, short, long. Milk veins: thick, thin, straight, tortuous. Milk wells: large, small. Leg set: a) front – correct, incorrect;

b) rear – correct, incorrect.

Leg defects

• Legs: high, low.
• Leg bone: thin, thick.
• Coloration:
  • a) nasal planum
  • b) hooves

  Note: features of average quality are indicated by the sign "x" placed between the extreme manifestations of the feature.

  Task 5. Study the names of measurements, determine their points of acquisition. Study the measuring instruments and the rules for working with them.

  Methodology: measurement of animals is carried out before feeding or three hours after feeding, on a level surface. When measuring, the animal must be calm.

  A necessary condition for correct measurement is the correct positioning of the animal:

  • The head and neck of the animal form a straight line with the vertebral column.
  • When viewing the animal from behind, the rear limbs cover the front ones, and when viewing from the side, the right limbs cover the left ones (or vice versa).
  • Head length – from the middle of the occipital crest to the nasal planum (with calipers).
  • Forehead length – from the middle of the occipital crest to the line connecting the inner corners of the eyes (with calipers).
  • Maximum forehead width – at the most distant points of the eye sockets (with calipers).
  • Height at withers – from the floor to the highest point of the withers (with a measuring stick).
  • Back height – from the rear edge of the spinous process of the last thoracic vertebra to the floor (with a measuring stick).
  • Loin height – from the point lying on the tangent line to the front protrusions of the hip bones to the floor (with a measuring stick).
  • Croup height – from the highest point of the sacrum to the floor (with a measuring stick).
  • Height at the ischial tuberosity – from the extreme rear protrusion of the ischial tuberosity to the floor (with a measuring stick).
  • Chest depth – from the withers to the sternum vertically, tangent to the rear edge of the scapula (with a measuring stick).
  • Oblique body length – from the extreme front point of the shoulder joint protrusion to the extreme rear protrusion of the ischial tuberosity (with a measuring stick and tape).
  • Oblique croup length – from the extreme rear protrusion of the ischial tuberosity to the front protrusion of the hip bone (with calipers).
  • Straight body length – from the middle of the withers to the tail head (with a measuring stick).
  • Chest width behind the shoulders – tangent to the rear angle of the scapula (with a measuring stick).
  • Width at hip bones – at the outer protrusions of the hip bones (with calipers or a stick).
  • Rump width at the ischial tuberosities – at the outer protrusions of the ischial tuberosities (with calipers).
  • Chest girth behind the shoulders – tangent to the rear angle of the scapulae (with a tape).
  • Cannon bone circumference – in the lower part of the upper third of the cannon bone (with a tape).
  • Half-girth of the rump – horizontally from the lateral protrusion of the left knee joint to the lateral protrusion of the right knee joint (with a tape). The tape is passed under the tail.

  Length of the front third of the trunk – from the tangent to the front protrusion of the shoulder joint to the tangent to the rear edge of the scapula (using a tape measure).

  Length of the middle third of the trunk – from the tangent to the rear edge of the scapula to the tangent to the front protrusion of the hip bones (using a tape measure).

  Length of the rear third of the trunk – from the tangent to the front protrusion of the hip bones in a straight line to the rear protrusion of the ischial tuberosities (using a tape measure).

  Skin thickness at the last rib – at the intersection point of the line from the shoulder joint to the ischial tuberosity after clipping hair (using calipers).

  Task 6. Master the methodology for linear evaluation of cattle conformation.

  All cows to be described using the linear system must simultaneously be evaluated using a 100-point system. Based on development, dairy type, udder, limbs, and hooves, the total score is determined using the following formula:

  TS = D × 0.2 + DT × 0.2 + U × 0.4 + LL × 0.2, where TS – total score, points;

  In practice, this score between "1" and "99" should be equated to the international scale – between "40" and "99" points, equivalent to approximately 80 points.

  Development: animal height, prominence of the muzzle, nostrils and forehead, chest girth, prominence of the sternum, back line, loin and rump development.

  Dairy type: refinement of the head, length of the neck, sharpness of the withers, rib positioning, distance between ribs, thinness of the skin, positioning and width of the rump.

  Udder: length and attachment of the fore udder, height of the rear udder, central ligament, placement and set of teats, prominence of milk veins, udder floor.

  Limbs and hooves: placement of fore and hind limbs, bone quality, hooves, angle of hind limbs.

  When determining the score, the classifier takes into account the age at first service, number of lactations, and lactation period. The total score is entered into the official pedigree. Abbreviations:

  85–89 points – very good, VG;

  80–84 points – good plus, GP;

  Awarding 90 or more points is carried out only by a committee.

  Cows are described by only one classifier before the 150th day of their first lactation. During description, animals must be on a hard and level surface. If evaluating the offspring of a sire being tested, the daughters described must be selected using a random sampling method.

  According to the international standard, the following individual traits are described on a single scale from "1" to "9" points (average score "5").

  1) Height at the middle of the sacral bones.

  2) Body depth – depth of the middle part of the trunk in the area of the last rib.

  3) Rump angle. Slope of the projected line between the hip bones and ischial tuberosities: level rump – 3 points. 5 points – for a rump sloped by the width of two fingers. Cows with a high-set rump are more susceptible to infections, which leads to infertility and barrenness.

  4) Rump width. Distance between the ischial tuberosities; influences the width of the rear udder and birth canal.

  5) Angle of hind limbs at the hock joint. 5 points are given for optimal curvature of the hind limb; medium curvature improves the endurance of the hind limbs.

  6) Hoof heel height – measured by the height of the rear circumference of the hoof. A low heel is more susceptible to diseases.

  7) Fore udder attachment – angle of the connection between the abdomen and the fore udder.

  8) Rear udder height – distance between the vulva and the beginning of the glandular udder tissue.

  10) Udder depth – measured as the distance between the projected line at the level of the hock joint and the bottom (floor) of the udder.

  11) Teat placement – evaluated when viewing the cow from the rear. 5 points are given if the front teats are located in the middle of the udder quarters. There is a close correlation between teat placement and milking speed as well as susceptibility to injury.

  1) The front part of the trunk is evaluated – front view. Strength based on indicators of trunk size and width, as well as live weight.

  2) Dairy type – is not a linear trait. It is closely correlated with milk productivity. Sharpness of the withers, thinness of skin and bone, head and neck structure, and distance between ribs are evaluated.

  3) Fore udder length – measured as the distance from the line separating the fore and rear udder to the beginning of the glandular tissue of the fore udder in the abdominal area.

  4) Hock joint from the rear – the hock joint of the hind limb is evaluated.

  These traits are measurable; they have economic value; there is sufficient variation; they are heritable.

  The results of cow and bull conformation evaluation are used for animal selection and mating. Selection of cows for breeding purposes is based on the animal's conformation corresponding to the desired characteristics defined by the breed association.

  International standard for linear evaluation of cow conformation

  Description of bull progeny testing results

  Reference information on sire evaluation. Information for each bull is published in the following order: – number of contemporaries; – average milk yield of daughters, kg; – name in alphabetical order; – average milk fat content of daughters, %; – individual number; – average milk fat yield of daughters, kg; – GKPZh brand and number. – average protein content in the milk Special notes: of daughters, %. ET – bull obtained via embryo trans- EBV – estimated breeding value of plantation; the sire (forecast of productivity TL – tested for BLAD carrier status increase or decrease when using (result negative); each daughter of the bull in the BL – tested for BLAD carrier status herd); (result positive); EBCI – economic breeding value TV – tested for CVM carrier status index of the sire (forecast of eco(result positive). nomic efficiency and use of the – breeding category: sire's pedigree; daughters of the given sire in the A1 – milk yield improver of the 1st herd); category; AA – kappa-casein genotype; A2 – milk yield improver of the 2nd AB – kappa-casein genotype; category; BB – kappa-casein genotype. A3 – milk yield improver of the 3rd category; B1 – fat yield improver of the 1st category; B2 – fat yield improver of the 2nd category; B3 – fat yield improver of the 3rd category; A1B1 – A3B3 – improver of both traits; H – neutral. animal measurements, cm: n. l. – highest lactation of female – height at withers; ancestors. – chest depth; n/a – belonging of the animal to a – chest width; specific line and branch. – hip width; BLUP – results of bull evaluation by – oblique body length; progeny using the best linear unbi- – chest girth; ased prediction method. – cannon bone girth; aAa – bull conformation score. – bull put on progeny testing (si- – results of progeny evaluation (as res have already been evaluated for assessed in Russia): quality characteristics of their se- – number of daughters;

  Task 7. Understand the body conformation features of lard-type and bacon-type pigs.

  Methodology. Pigs of lard, meat-lard, meat, and bacon types are bred in our country. Regardless of the breed, an animal's exterior reflects its productivity type. Meat-type and bacon-type pigs have much in common in their conformation and differ significantly from meat-lard and lard-type pigs. Significant differences are more pronounced in pigs of polar types – lard and bacon. Comparative body conformation features of lard-type and bacon-type pigs should be noted on the drawing of the lard-type pig regarding exterior points that differ significantly from those of bacon-type pigs. Using drawings 11 and 12 and the supplementary table for Task 7, provide a brief description of the body conformation features of lard-type and bacon-type pigs.

  Figure 11 – Boar of the Belarusian Black-Pied breed of the lard type

  Body conformation features of lard-type pigs

  Body conformation features of bacon-type pigs

  Table 2 – Significant body conformation features of bacon-type and lard-type pigs Conformation Exterior features of pigs and points of the bacon type No. p/p lard type

  15–20 cm exceeds chest 1.Body 1. less than chest girth)

  Small, moderately Wide in the forehead, snout long, jowls dense, wide, short, 2.Head and neck wide, fleshy, neck 2. jowls wide, filled, neck of moderate length without crest

  Moderately wide, 3.Chest 3. Wide, deep deep 4.Middle part of the Not stretched, 4. body Long, deep, wide, deep

  Well developed, Well developed, 5.Hams 5. filled filled, deep 6.Legs Moderately high 6. Not high

  Task 8. Understand the body conformation features of chickens of different productivity types.

  Figure 13 – Hen and rooster of the egg productivity type – Leghorn breed

  Figure 14 – Hen and rooster of the meat productivity type, Cornish breed

  Task 9. Understand the body conformation features of sheep of different productivity types.

  Figure 15 – Ram of the wool type, fine-wooled breed

  Figure 16 – Ram of the meat-wool type –

  Figure 17 – Ram of the meat type, semi-fine-wooled breed –

  Figure 18 – Ewe of the dairy type – East Friesian breed

  Figure 19 – Ram of the meat-wool-dairy type –

  Figure 20 – Sheep of the meat-lard type –

  Task 10. Understand the body conformation features of horses of different productivity types.

  Figure 22 – Horses of the Orlov Trotter breed

  Figure 23 – Stallion of the heavy draft type – Russian Heavy Draft breed

  Figure 24 – Stallion of the harness type – Don breed

  Figure 25 – Productive horses, Yakut breed

  Date and student signature Date and instructor signature