Cattle assessment report. Cattle grading: why and how is it carried out

Organization and features of appraisal

Cows on the farm are graded several times a year, and each animal is repeatedly assessed over the entire period of its life (young stock, determination of productivity, formation of the herd) until culling. The most important indicators used in grading:

• breed (origin, characteristics of parents);
• productivity (milk yield, fat content, protein level);
• exterior and constitution;
• reproductive characteristic.

The assessment plan will vary depending on the animal's age, management and gender. For each of the indicators, points are awarded, the sum of which is used to calculate the class affiliation of the cattle - this is the main breeding criterion when forming a herd.

The valuation is broken down by month - livestock specialists draw up a calendar plan in which groups of cows are formed for inspection, weighing, and determination of milk yield. According to the results of the study, cattle are divided depending on their further use:

• main herd (breeding core);
• replacement young stock (calves for restocking);
• young animals sold per breed;
• cull cows;
• group for further ranking.

When working, special attention is paid to animals to replenish the herd. These must be cows of at least 1st class. To replenish the livestock, the number of replacement heifers must be at least 25 per 100 heads of adult cattle annually.

Deadlines for livestock assessment:

• bulls and heifers selected to replenish the herd are assessed when they reach physiological maturity;
• marketable and fattening young animals from 10 months;
• adult cows during the dry period.

Breed Compliance Determination

A cattle breed is an artificially bred group of animals with similar productivity indicators, exterior and interior characteristics. Representatives of a certain breed can be the offspring obtained by the following crossing:

• from two representatives of the same breed;
• starting from the fourth generation with absorption crossing;
• when a new breed is approved;
• when crossing third generation descendants;
• from cattle of the same group (they receive the mother's line).

Breeding value is also expressed by characteristics other than pedigree. Dairy livestock with their indicators must satisfy the minimum requirements for the breed - a certain level of fat and protein content in milk, milk yield, weight, reproductive characteristics.

Productivity assessment

Belonging to a particular breed of cattle does not have much economic value without high productivity indicators. On farms, when grading and selecting livestock, the first role is played by the indicator of milk production or fatness. Not only the volume of production (total milk yield, meat yield) is assessed, but also its quality - fat and protein content, fatness, percentage of bones in meat.

Dairy cows

For grading, the average milk yield for the last three lactations is taken. For cattle with one calving or unknown indicators for past years, only data for the last 305 days of milking can be used. For the calculation, data from control milkings are used, which should be carried out on the farm at least once a month. In conditions of a small farm, as well as microchipping of livestock and automation of the process, control milkings are not carried out.

Parameters for assessing a dairy cow based on milk productivity:

• total milk yield;
• milk yield for 305 days of lactation (with an increase in the service period, a reduction in dead wood);
• fat content;
• protein level;
• adaptability to machine milking.

Minimum requirements for cows of the 3rd or more lactation

Breed name	Annual milk yield, kg	Milk fat content, %	Protein content, %	Weight, kg
Ayrshire	3300	4,1	3,6	470
Dutch	3700	4,0	3,3	500
Jersey	2900	5,5	3,7	400
Kostroma	3500	3,7	3,4	510
Red steppe	3300	3,6	3,3	470
Simmental	3200	3,8	3,4	520
Kholmogorskaya	3300	3,6	3,3	480
Black and white	3700	3,5	3,3	500
Shvitskaya	3400	3,6	3,4	500

During grading, a cow is assigned points for each indicator. Based on their sum (in total, up to 60 points can be counted for milk productivity, the rest are obtained for constitution) the class of the animal will be calculated (from 3rd to elite record). The adaptability of cows to industrial housing is becoming increasingly important during selection. In this case, suitability for machine milking is assessed (rate of milk release, shape and condition of the udder, size and position of the teats), resistance to inflammatory processes, and condition of the limbs.

The basis for grading cattle is the assessment of its productivity - the amount and quality of milk yield, adaptability to machine milking, reproductive function.

In addition to the standard ones, dairy cattle are awarded additional points for indicators that exceed the average by a certain amount, as well as for the class of offspring. Thus, cows with a milk yield of more than 140% of the minimum breed level are assigned class A. If the offspring have daughters with an elite-record rating, then 5 points are added to the mother.

Beef cattle and exterior characteristics

Livestock assessment based on external data can be carried out from the 1st month. In this case, 5 categories are applied to the assessment of young animals (up to 24 months). An “excellent” rating is given to calves without pathological abnormalities (correct hoof placement, absence of deformation of joints, bones, spine). The chest must be well developed in width and depth. Young animals of dairy breeds should not have rough development or overdeveloped bones.

Evaluation of adult animals should take greater account of breed and performance predispositions. Thus, in dairy cows, the development of the udder and its suitability for machine milking are primarily noted. In addition, overall body condition should be below average, without large deposits of fat. The best time for grading is 2-3 months after calving.

Disadvantages and malformations of dairy cows

Index	Developmental defects
General condition (constitution)	Disproportional body type with weak muscles. The deviation is both overly tender development and rough development, characteristic of beef cattle.
Head and neck condition	A massive head on a short neck covered with thick folds.
Rib cage	Short, tapered with possible interception behind the shoulder blades.
Vertebral department	Curvature (kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis) of the spine. Narrow lumbar region, double withers.
Abdomen	The abdomen is not tucked or underdeveloped. Muscle tone is not expressed, the hungry fossa is strongly sunken.
Pelvis	Narrow butt, short, dropped down. Bone tubercles stand out clearly.
Breast	“Goat” udder, uneven development of milk lobes. General underdevelopment of the gland, the anterior lobes are weakly attached. The nipples are short or, conversely, too long (should be in the range of 5-8 cm), located close.
Limbs	Incorrect positioning of the legs (curvature, hooves turned to the sides). Deformation of the hoof horn.

Bulls are evaluated for skeletal development and muscle mass, with particular attention to the loin and limbs. These should be massive animals with a rough constitution, a heavy head and neck. The skin is thick with good deposition of adipose tissue (except for the Belgian breed with an abnormality in protein metabolism). In the future, the sire's class can be increased due to the improved performance of his offspring.

The importance of valuation - the formation of a breeding herd

After assessing the entire livestock, the information received is analyzed. Animals with the best performance should be separated to form the nucleus of the farm. Breeding selection occurs continuously due to the natural loss of animals (disease, infertility) and the conclusion about the duration of use of livestock (age, number of calvings, changes in productivity indicators). To compensate for these processes, it is necessary to regularly (at least once a year) grade dairy cattle.

To form a herd, the following methods should be used:

• Ancestry assessment;
• manifestation of productivity;
• exterior characteristics;
• quality of offspring.

The study of the pedigree should include a study of the productivity of these animals, the presence of elite and elite-record class cattle in their offspring. To increase objectivity, it is necessary to study the productivity of sisters and brothers. The presence of an outstanding ancestor, especially close in the pedigree, increases the performance of the animal being studied.

Assessing the productivity of previous generations will allow you to better evaluate the cow and select the most valuable animals for the herd. Separating replacement cows and heifers based solely on exterior and milk characteristics does not guarantee their safety in the resulting offspring. In this case, a decrease in the quantity and quality of products in the coming generations is possible. Animals with unsatisfactory performance are used for sale or sent to feedlots.

Validation- a comprehensive assessment of each animal, taking into account milk productivity (in cows), exterior, constitution and origin.

Constitution is a set of morphological and physiological features of an animal associated with the direction of its productivity.

Exterior- the appearance of the animal. It is the outer expression of the constitution.

You can read more about these two concepts by clicking on this.

Bonitation is not a formless word at all, but a very real paper document (a set of tables), which is annually, as a rule, at the beginning of January, handed over to local statistical authorities.

And if, literally 10 years ago, the livestock specialist counted everything manually (it’s even scary to imagine), now the Seleks computer program will do everything. The main thing is to engage in timely collection of information, data processing and analysis of the results obtained throughout the year.

The main tables in the "Zootechnical report on the results of breeding work with cattle of the dairy direction of productivity" (another name for the grading of cattle) are as follows:

- breed and class composition of cattle;

- characteristics of cows in terms of milk production and live weight for 305 days in the last completed lactation;

- characteristics of cows in terms of the shape of the udder and the rate of milk flow;

- insemination of cows and heifers;

- disposal of cows;

— production use of cows;

- characteristics of reared young animals;

- characteristics of the young stock being sold;

- the result of the use of sires;

- genealogical structure of the herd according to belonging to the lines;

- characteristics of probonitated cows (perhaps the most voluminous part of the report).

For greater clarity, all tables, using the example of my farm, are presented below.

This entire set of tables is formed as a result of daily work in the Selex program.

The livestock specialist must regularly work:

1. with "Events" tab(Database - Cow/young stock file), where the following fields are filled in: control (introducing the results of control milkings every month), calving, starting, insemination, pregnancy (entering the results of a rectal examination), disposal, weighing and assignment (forming the structure of the herd)

The remaining points of the "Events" are not so important for scoring, but I recommend not to bypass them.

2. with OTT animal(estimation of body type) in the new version of the program 5.50. But more on this point below.

3. udder tab- determine the shape of the cow's udder (bowl-shaped, round, goat) and fix the rate of milk flow.

4. tab "Development", where the measurements of the animal are noted: height at the withers, chest depth, chest width, width in maklaks, oblique body length, chest girth behind the shoulder blades and pastern girth.

Animals are also evaluated according to their exterior and constitution, according to the approved table.

Cow rating scale for exterior and constitution

In total, a cow can get a maximum of 10 points. Young animals from 10 months old are evaluated by general development, a maximum of 5 points.

I should also note that the program itself keeps track of all events and dates of control. Let's say you forgot to measure the body weight of a cow 3 months after calving. By going to the "Reports" section, and then to "Logic Links", the program itself will remind you of this, just pressing one button is enough.

As you can see, the evaluation of cattle is an integral part of breeding work and one of the main duties of a livestock breeder.

And the most important thing, in the new version of Selex w5.50 there is a new tab in "Events" - OTT(assessment of body type), which will play a significant role in the grading of livestock.

crossing hybridization pig grading

Valuation is carried out throughout the year after the cow’s lactation ends or the young animals reach 10 months of age. The results of the herd assessment are summed up at the end of the year. Before the start of grading, the inventory numbers of the animals are checked, data on the feeding and maintenance of the animals are summarized, form 2 cards are filled out and other preparatory work is carried out. Animals are assessed for a set of characteristics in accordance with the requirements of special instructions. Based on a comprehensive assessment, each animal is assigned to a specific class. Indicators of class 1 meet the minimum requirements for recording animals in the state stud books (SPK). Civil Procedure Code standards take into account the characteristics of each breed. The highest class of cattle is considered elite-record, the lowest - II. For each class, minimum indicators are established for productivity, live weight, exterior and other assessed characteristics. For young animals, live weight standards have been established by class depending on sex and age.

Based on the results of grading, animals are distributed into groups: into the breeding core, user group, for sale (user and breeding livestock), fattening.

At the end of the assessment, a selection plan is drawn up (an annual breeding plan), which provides for the coverage of all queens of breeding age. The best of them are assigned excellent producers, taking into account not only productivity, but also the origin of the animals.

In order to determine the breeding value and purpose of animals on farms, at artificial insemination stations, and breeding enterprises, all sires, cows, replacement heifers and breeding bulls are assessed annually.

Cattle are graded throughout the year: replacement bulls upon reaching breeding age, cows at the end of lactation, young animals from 10 months of age.

Livestock assessment is carried out by livestock breeders from farms, state breeding stations and state breeding centers. In some cases, valuation can be carried out by invited specialists and agricultural scientists. research institutions and educational institutions that know the breed well.

To carry out grading, the milk yield of each cow is calculated for 305 days of the last lactation (or for a shortened lactation) and the average fat content of milk is calculated; evaluate animals based on their appearance and constitution; determine the suitability of cows for machine milking; weigh each animal (cows 2-5 months after calving); inventory numbers of animals are checked; unclear or lost ones are renewed.

When grading, a comprehensive assessment of animals is carried out according to breed and origin, productivity and development, exterior and constitution, quality of offspring, milk production properties of cows, and the reproductive ability of sires and queens is taken into account.

The final assessment of animals during grading is carried out according to the following characteristics: cows - by milk productivity, exterior and constitution, genotype; sires - according to exterior and constitution, genotype; young animals - by genotype, exterior and development.

Based on the results of the final assessment, cows, bulls and young animals are assigned to the following classes: elite-record, elite, class I, class II. Animals that do not meet the requirements of class II are classified as non-class.

Cows are assessed for milk productivity by milk yield (kg), fat content in milk (%) or amount of milk fat (kg) for 305 days of lactation, or for a shortened completed lactation.

Minimum milk yield requirements are established for first-calf heifers calving before the age of 30 months. When calving at a later age, milk yield requirements increase by 10%. With shortened lactation, the actual milk yield is taken into account and the duration of lactation is indicated in days. Control milking of cows is carried out at least once a month.

First-calf heifers are assessed by milk yield for the completed lactation, cows of two calvings - by average productivity for two lactations, full-aged cows - by average productivity for any three lactations. On commercial farms, in the absence of data for previous years, it is allowed to evaluate cows based on the last completed lactation.

The elite-record class includes cows of at least the 3rd generation (7/8 blood), and the elite class - no lower than the 2nd generation (3/4 blood).

The elite-record and elite classes include cows with a live weight not lower than the requirements of class I.

If a cow’s milk yield exceeds the class I standard by 40% or more, the class assigned to it is additionally designated by the letter A. If the fat content in the cow’s milk exceeds the class I standard by 0.2% or more, the class assigned to it is designated by an additional letter B. If the cow exceeds standards for the specified value for both characteristics, its class is additionally indicated by two letters (AB).

The class of a cow based on a set of traits can be increased in subsequent years due to an increase in its productivity and assessment of the offspring. In other cases, the assigned class does not change.

The elite-record and elite classes include bulls with a live weight not lower than the class I standard and not lower than the IV generation (15/16 blood).

The class of a bull based on a set of traits and the category assigned to it can be increased in subsequent years due to an increase in the class of the parents and a higher assessment of the bull in terms of the quality of the offspring. In other cases, the previously assigned class and category are not changed.

Bulls descended from cows classified as class II based on a set of traits are not graded.

Heifers descended from cows that do not satisfy the requirements of class II in terms of the complex of traits cannot be classified as elite and class I, and those descended from mothers of class I cannot be classified as elite-record. The elite-record class can include heifers that have blood of at least the third generation, and the elite class - no lower than the second generation.

The success of farming depends not only on the feeding platform and maintenance rules, but also on the level of selective breeding work. The main criteria for assessing cattle are parameters such as live weight, milk yield, and growth rate. Therefore, in the barns, an annual assessment (grading) of the livestock is carried out and more valuable specimens are bred, which will then be exploited for breeding purposes. But we will tell you further how to do this work correctly.

What is cattle grading?

Grading refers to a special assessment of cattle, which is carried out to identify the qualitative significance of animals and their consistency with the breed, exterior, build, pedigree, actual weight of each individual and milk yield.
As a rule, the procedure is performed by farmers all year round in the following order:

• for cows- to stop lactation;
• for young animals- 6–10 months after birth;
• for bulls- at the age of mating.

Important! Much of the assessment is carried out by farm staff, with outside experts from scientific bodies rarely hired.

Before starting workover assessment, perform the following actions:

• check inventory numbers, identify the presence of unclear or lost ones;
• create a basis for the diet and living environment;
• fill out cards in the prescribed form;
• add together the milk yield of each cow for the previous 305 days;
• perform other preparatory actions.

Grading classes

According to established standards, cattle are classified as follows:

• elite-record (ER);
• elite (E);
• I class (1K);
• II class (2K).

Cattle cannot be consistently included in one class: the animal grows throughout its life and its indicators change annually.
Exterior and constitutional indicators of cattle Classification is carried out according to gender and age. The suitability of cows is calculated using a scoring grid. The following indicators are considered separately:

• milk production and milk yield rate (maximum score - 60 points);
• external parameters;
• development and complexion (maximum score - 24 points);
• genotype (maximum - 16 points).

For each parameter, points are calculated and then the type of animal is determined.

Other parameters are used to classify bulls. They are assessed for their pedigree, genesis, external characteristics, constitution, ability to reproduce and the quality of such calves. The cattle class is similar in points to the cow class.
When assessing young animals, specialists take only body build, genotype, live weight, attitude to the breed and possible productivity. The classification rating scale will be different.

Important! Based on the evaluation results, animals are sorted into groups: into a purebred core, a user group, for sale or fattening.

Basic criteria for assessing herd representatives

There are a number of factors by which an individual in a herd is assessed:

• genotype and breed;
• quality and volume of milk;
• appearance and build;
• quality of offspring;
• adaptability of the udder to machine milking;
• potential for procreation.

Instructions for grading

To evaluate cattle, they consider the main parameters and, having collected all the indicators, accumulate points. After this, the cows are divided into categories. During the procedure, auxiliary points may be given for body composition, appearance, genotype and ancestry.

Meat cows

To assign a class to beef cattle, the assessment is made based on appearance. Moreover, the parameters are recorded immediately after birth. There are 5 divisions for judging young animals. This takes into account the formation of the skeleton, the design of the hooves, joints, sternum, and spinal bones. If adult cows are assessed, the following are taken into account:

• thoroughbred;
• productivity;
• muscle volume;
• development of the frame and skeleton.

Bulls must meet established standards for constitution, head position, sternum development, actual weight and adipose tissue.

Dairy cows

To assess the practicality of dairy cows, milk yield data is taken for the previous 3 lactations (for first-calf heifers - for one, after two calvings - for the last 2). In this case, take into account:

• the amount of milk yield;
• its suitability for machine milking;
• protein concentration in milk.

The fat content of milk is also calculated (based on the results of 305 days) and compared with the figures of breeding cows having class I. All data is drawn from accounting records that are kept monthly on each farm. Based on the assessment results, the cow is given points and a class rating is calculated.

Important! An additional 16–24 points can be earned for genotype and pedigree.

Consequently, the exhibition of dairy animals can be presented exclusively by animals that received one hundred points based on the evaluation results. There are also superbonuses if the milk yield is 140% of the lowest milk yield of cows representing class A.

The average fat content of milk is calculated by multiplying the fat concentration for 30 days by the monthly milk yield. All products are summed up and divided by the actual yield.
The milk fat content during the lactation period is calculated by dividing the volume of 1% milk by 100.

The average milk fat content of cows is calculated by summing the milk yield converted into 1% milk and dividing the resulting number by the actual milk yield.

Milk yield in the 2nd–3rd month of lactation is determined by taking supervisory milking readings during the day. In this case, the amount of one-time milk yield and the time spent on each milking must be taken into account.

The intensity of milk production is calculated as the quotient of the amount of milk received and the time spent.

Young animals

• elite record - 40;
• elite - 35–39;
• I class - 30–34;
• II class - 25–29.

Did you know? Mini-cows include breeds whose representatives, upon reaching three years of age, have a height at the withers no higher than 105 cm.The Highland is considered the most productive mini-cow. The breed was developed in Scotland at the endXIX century.

The following scale is used to display the results.

Parameter	Points for bulls	Points for chicks
Genotype (maximum - 30 points)
1st knee (1/2)	0	2
2nd knee (3/4)	3	3
3rd knee (7/8)	5	5
4th knee (15/16)	7	7
Purebred	8	8
Parent 2K	0	3
Parent 1K	4	6
Parent E	6	9
Parent ER	8	11
Father E	7	9
Father ER	9	11
Appearance and typicality (maximum - 10 points). The parameter is calculated based on a five-point rating
3	0	4
3,5	6	6
4,0	8	8
4,5	10	10
Development (maximum - 10 points). The following parameters are considered here: height at the withers, width, depth and volume of the chest, span of the shoulders, girth of the metacarpus, oblique length of the body.
Actual weight 2K (85% of first)	0	6
Live weight 1K	8	8
Live weight exceeding class 1 standards by 5 percent or more	10	10

If the father’s data is obtained from the offspring, then the following points are assigned (determined only for bulls):

• 3rd type - 3;
• 2nd type - 4;
• 1st type - 5.

Important! Chicks originating from mothers who do not meet the standards of class 2 cannot be defined as elite and class 1. And those descended from class 1 cannot be classified as the elite-record type. The elite record includes chicks that have a purity of at least the 3rd generation, and the elite - no lower than the 2nd generation.

Bykov

Sire bulls are considered based on external data, purebredness and ability to produce offspring. To calculate what type a bull is, use the following table:

Parameter	Class	Number of points
Actual weight	ER	35
	E	30
	1 TO	25
Structure and appearance	ER	20
	E	15
	1 TO	10
Personal productivity	ER	10
	E	5
	1 TO	2
Genotype*	ER	35
	E	30
	1 TO	25
Brood quality	ER	5
	E	4
	1 TO	3

* The genotype includes the following indicators (scored in points):

• Brood quality: ER - 10, E - 8, 1K - 7;
• breed: purebred - 10, IV generation - 8, III generation - 7;
• parent: ER - 5, E - 4, 1K - 3;
• father: ER - 5, E - 4, 1K - 3.

Manufacturers who have:

• the actual mass meets the requirements of class 1 and higher;
• thoroughbred was revealed to be no lower than the 4th generation;
• constitution and façade score 85–90 points and above.

In breeding barns, the exploitation of stud bulls is allowed only after determining the quality of the offspring and calculating the authenticity of the origin using immunogenetic control.

Did you know? The leader among cattle breeding countries is India - for example, 26 varieties of mini-cows have been bred there. Hindus consider cows sacred and pay special attention to them.

As you can see, valuation is not at all an unnecessary event in farming. Based on its results, plans are developed for sorting the herd, breeding young animals for replacement, and the prospects for breeding work are also being clarified.

Valuation is a qualitative assessment of farm animals carried out to determine their economic value. Such studies are also carried out, of course, on farms specializing in bulls. Cattle are graded by specialists in accordance with the breed of animals, weight, exterior, origin, etc.

Preparatory activities

Before you start grading, on the farm:

check livestock for inventory numbers to identify lost or unclear ones;

systematize information about housing and feeding;

milk yields for cows are summed up for the last 305 days;

fill out cards F2-mol.

What is the procedure

Valuation is, first of all, an operation that allows you to select certain individuals for a breed and determine the potential of the farm in terms of milk and meat production. When carrying out this procedure, the following activities are carried out on farms:

the breed of cattle is determined;

an assessment of the exterior and constitution of animals is carried out;

The productivity of cows is assessed in terms of yield and milk quality.

At the end of the research, experts make a conclusion and assign each animal to a certain class. The latter is determined in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. In these documents, the complexes of distinctive features of animals of various classes are described in great detail.

Purebred cows

First of all, specialists on the farm study the pedigrees of the cattle kept. In this case, purebred animals and crossbreds are identified. In the list opposite the name of each animal, a corresponding note is made. A cow or bull can be classified as the first type if:

both of their parents are purebred representatives of the same breed - Ayrshire, Simmental, Russian Black-and-White, Dutch, Holstein, etc.;

animals are crosses obtained by absorption crossing, starting from the 4th generation (if the exterior and development correspond to the breed).

When performing grading, specialists also recognize hybrids obtained from crossing purebred sires of different breeds as purebreds. This could be, for example, young animals from:

Montbeliardskaya, Sychovo and

Red: steppe, Danish, Swedish, Estonian, etc., as well as angelic.

Kostroma, Swedish, Caucasian, Yurin, Alatau.

Black and white: Russian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Dutch cows, etc.

White-headed Ukrainian and Groningen.

Shorthorn and Kurgan.

At the same time, the offspring of cattle of the same origin, for example, the Red Steppe, Ayrshire and Danish breeds, are included in the group of improved varieties.

Crossbreeds

The offspring included in this group are:

Cattle belonging to different breeds;

obtained as a result of breeding “in itself”;

obtained by crossing purebred cattle with local ones.

When carrying out grading on a farm, among other things, the degree of breed of animals is also revealed. This is what they do on farms specializing in breeding Holstein, Kostroma, Brown Caucasian and any other cows. When determining the degree of breeding, special tables are used. At the same time, attention is paid to the exterior and productivity of the animal.

If a cow or bull has all the signs of the breed, but the documents for them are lost, they are classified as crossbreeds of the 1st-2nd generation.

How cows are assessed for milk production

Cattle are raised extremely rarely for meat in Russia. Therefore, the productivity of such animals during grading is most often determined in accordance with the quantity and quality of milk obtained from them.

In this case, an assessment is made taking into account the following indicators:

milk yield in kilograms;

the amount of fat contained in milk (%);

speed of milk release.

When carrying out research, special tables are used, which indicate for each breed the minimum milk yield for 1, 2 and 3 lactations, as well as the amount of fat contained in milk for the same periods. During the cattle grading process, each animal is checked for compliance with these standards.

The minimum requirements indicated in the tables are established only for first-calf heifers that bear offspring under the age of 30 months. For cows that calved later, the same figures plus 10% are taken. Animals that have calved twice are checked for productivity over 2 lactations, full-aged cattle – over any 3.

Control milking in order to establish productivity in terms of milk quantity, as well as calculation of average fat content, is carried out at least once a month. The rate of return is determined for 2-3 months. lactation for one day. In this case, the amount of milk produced per day and the time spent to obtain it are taken into account.

Instructions for grading cattle: constitution and exterior

On farms, cows are supposed to be assessed based on these characteristics at the first and third calvings. In this case, studies should be carried out at 2-3 months of lactation. Bulls are checked annually until they reach 5 years of age. During the planned grading of cattle, the assessment of the constitution and exterior is carried out only if they were not carried out during the designated periods.

When performing research on cows, first of all, pay attention to such signs as:

harmonious physique;

udder size;

udder shape;

suitability for machine milking.

In bulls, they evaluate:

expressiveness of breed characteristics;

body harmony;

lower back strength;

strength of the hind legs.

After examination, each adult animal is assigned, depending on the result obtained, a score from 1 to 10. In this case, the result is necessarily supplemented with a list of identified defects and defects.

When grading, the exterior of young cattle is assessed not on a 10, but on a 5-point system. In this case, calves are included in the group of “excellent students” only if they have the following:

good development and age-appropriate growth at the withers;

wide, without interception behind the shoulder blades, chest;

straight line of the sacrum, lower back and back;

good development of the pelvis;

correct positioning of the legs with strong bones.

The rating of Dutch cows, Ayrshire cows, black-and-white cows, etc. may decrease, for example:

for the rough bones;

narrow chest;

overdeveloped head;

forked withers;

saggy belly;

drooping or too small udder;

short, abnormally developed, closely set nipples;

turn to the sides of the front legs;

narrow, flat, loose hooves, etc.

Of course, when assessing the exterior of cows, experts pay special attention to the udder. Those cows whose milking is not suitable for machine milking may, in some cases, even be discarded and sent to slaughter. This is how they do it on large farms.

How is the final assessment done?

When grading cattle, the information obtained as a result of research is compared with data from the tables. In this case, cows are assessed by:

milk productivity;

constitution and exterior;

genotype.

Bykov by:

genotype;

exterior and constitution.

Young animals by:

genotype;

exterior and constitution;

degree of development.

For each of these characteristics, when grading large animals on farms, in accordance with the data from the tables, a certain number of points is assigned. Next, the points are summed up and, based on the results, the cow, calf or bull is assigned to a certain class. There are only 4 of the latter for adult individuals:

elite record - from 80 points;

elite - 70-79;

I class - 60-69;

II class - 50-59.

The following classes are provided for calves:

elite record - from 40 points and above;

elite - 34-39 points;

I class - 30-34;

II class - 25-29.

The elite-record group can only include cows of at least the third generation (7/8), and the elite - II. In both cases, the live weight of the animals must meet the requirements of class I.

Score

Adult Holstein, Red Steppe, Dutch and any other dairy cows can be assigned: