Calving Book

A calving book provides:

• An inventory of cows in the herd and calves produced for management and marketing decisions

• Cattle identification in conjunction with calving and weaning information, which is the basis for evaluating cow productivity and herd reproduction

• Details on health care, bull turnout dates and breeding records of the animals in a beef cow herd

NDSU Animal Sciences Department
Extension Beef Specialist
Extension Veterinarian
www.ag.ndsu.edu/ansc
701-231-7641 or ndsu.ansc@ndsu.edu

Rachel L. Gibbs
NDSU Extension Ruminant Systems Management Specialist
Hettinger Research Extension Center
701-567-4323
rachel.gibbs.1@ndsu.edu

Karl Hoppe
NDSU Extension Livestock Specialist
Carrington Research Extension Center
701-652-2951
karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu

Lisa Pederson
NDSU Extension Livestock and Beef Quality Specialist
701-328-9718
lisa.pederson@ndsu.edu

Lacey Quail
NDSU Extension Livestock Management Specialist
North Central Research Extension Center
701-831-0412
lacey.quail@ndsu.edu

North Dakota State University Extension has a network of beef professionals available for all counties in North Dakota.

If you have questions about beef production, your local Extension agent is available to assist you or put you in touch with people knowledgeable about issues such as electronic identification, range management, cropping systems and waste management.

Also contact your local Extension agent for additional calving books. A complete listing of Extension agents is at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-home/directory.

Calving Ease (CE) Codes

1 = No difficulty, no assistance
2 = Minor difficulty; some assistance
3 = Major difficulty; usually mechanical assistance
4 = Caesarean section
5 = Abnormal presentation

Sex Codes

0 = Miscellaneous (assigned for management codes A, B and C, and D if sex is unknown)
1 = Bull
2 = Heifer
3 = Steer

International Year Letter Codes

Management Codes(MC)

0 = no creep feed
1-7 = months actual creep fed
A = cow that didn’t calve but kept in herd
B = cow aborted
C = calf died before 2 weeks of age
D = calf died after 2 weeks but before weighing
E = embryo transplant
F = purchased calf
N = calf that was in herd but raised by another cow
K = twin, raised on foster cow with known birthdate
S = twin, raised on own dam as single
T = twin, raised on own dam as twin
X = calf present but not weighed

1. Look at last two ribs
   Visible: <5
   Not visible: ≥ 5
2. Spine
   Visible: ≤ 3
3. Shape between hooks and pins (thurl)
   Shallow U: BCS 6
   Strong U: BCS 5
   V Shape: BCS 4
   Strong V: BCS 3
   Very Strong V: BCS 2

U.S. Beef Body Condition Scores: Range from 1-9

• BCS 1: Starved
• BCS 9: Obese

*See detailed BCS descriptions on pages 90-91.
3-Step Body Condition Scoring (BCS) Guide for Range Cattle (B-1294), Scasta, et al, 2016, University of Wyoming Extension. http://www.wyoextension.org/publications/html/B1294/

BCS 3

Last two ribs visible: BCS <5

Spine visible: BCS ≤3

Shape between hooks and pins is strong V: BCS 3

BCS 4

Last two ribs visible: BCS <5

Spine not visible: BCS >3

Shape between hooks and pins is V: BCS 4

BCS 5

Last two ribs not visible: BCS ≥5

Spine not visible: BCS >3

Shape between hooks and pins is strong U: BCS 5

BCS 6+

Last two ribs not visible: BCS ≥5

Spine not visible: BCS >3

Shape between hooks and pins is very shallow or flat U: BCS ≥6

3-Step Body Condition Scoring (BCS) Guide for Range Cattle (B-1294), Scasta, et al, 2016, University of Wyoming Extension. http://www.wyoextension.org/publications/html/B1294/

Udder and Teat Scores should be taken within the first 24 to 48 hours from calving using the dam’s worst quarter. 

See detailed U/T descriptions on pages 92-94.

Teat and Udder Scores. (2021, April 13). BIF Guidelines Wiki. Retrieved 22:30, February 20, 2025 from http://guidelines.beefimprovement.org/index.php?title=Teat_and_Udder_Sc….

Calving Summary

The success of a beef operation depends on the health of your beef animals. Healthy cattle grow better. They also adapt to environmental changes faster and more easily.

An active health management protocol is very important. A key component of any health protocol involves a relationship with the local veterinarian, which includes regular dialogue.

Disease control and prevention, animal traceback and good-quality beef products for consumers require collaboration along the entire beef industry chain.

Keep a record of vaccinations, antimicrobials and parasiticids administered to cattle. Keeping this type of information can increase the value of your animals.

Processing information helps you provide a complete “picture” of how you manage your animals . Work with your veterinarian to develop a complete herd health program for your animals.

Most herds process different classes of cattle (calves, cows, bulls or replacement heifers) the same so recording individual ID is not needed. A suggested method could be “Repl Heifers, Red #124-237.”

However, sometimes individual animals are not processed along with others because of some underlying condition such as too young, sick or injured. The ID’s of these animals can be noted as NOT processed. A suggested method could be “Not Processed Repl Heifer #195, running fever.”

Processing

DATE PROC – date of processing

PROD – product name, serial number

IDs of animals NOT processed – When recording information, it is often easier to record which animals were NOT processed on that day and record them as a “Treatment” at a later date.

BY WHOM – person administering product

Processing Record

Recording the treatment of animals should be on an individual basis. Not all animals will respond the same. Work with your veterinarian to develop a standardized treatment protocol for the different types of animals within your herd. A treatment program is part of a complete herd health program for your animals.

Treatment

DATE ADMIN – date treatment was administered
ID – animal’s identification

DX – Following are recommendations for diagnosis and treatment:

• R - respiratory
• P - pinkey
• F - footrot
• S - structural (ex: leg, hip)
• U - reproductive (ex: metritis, retained placenta)
• M - metabolic (ex: grass tetany, milk fever)
• O - other

PROD – product name, serial number

WD DAYS – product withdrawal days

BY WHOM – person administering product

Treatment Record

The collection of performance data in beef cattle has helped the industry move forward to evaluate many different traits. In addition to direct economic evaluations, producers can assess resource usage and benefits indirectly.

Another major benefit of performance data is the ability to evaluate traits that can be useful in improving the quality of beef products sold to consumers.

G = cow died
H = cow sold, age
J = cow sold, physical defect
K = cow sold, poor fertility or open
L = cow sold, inferior calves
R = cow sold, replacement stock
Y = cow sold, unknown

Culling Records

(Richards et al., 1986. J. Anim. Sci. 62:300-306.)
Beef Improvement Federation (BIF)

Condition BCS Description

Thin

1: Emaciated – The cow is extremely emaciated, with no palpable fat detectable over the spinous processes, transverse processes, hip bones or ribs. The tail head and ribs project quite prominently.

2: Poor – The cow still appears somewhat emaciated but the tail head and ribs are less prominent. Individual spinous processes still are rather sharp to the touch, but some tissue cover exists over the dorsal portion of the ribs.

3: Thin – Ribs still are individually identifiable but not quite as sharp to the touch. Obvious palpable fat is along the spine and over the tail head, with some tissue cover over the dorsal portion of the ribs.

4: Borderline – Individual ribs no longer are visually obvious. The spinous processes can be identified individually on palpation but feel rounded rather than sharp. Some fat cover is over the ribs, transverse processes and hip bones.

Optimum/moderate

5: Moderate – The cow has a generally good overall appearance. On palpation, the fat cover over the ribs feels spongy and areas on either side of the tail head have palpable fat cover.

6: High moderate – Firm pressure needs to be applied to feel the spinous processes. A high degree of fat is palpable over the ribs and around the tail head.

Fat

7: Good – The cow appears fleshy and obviously carries considerable fat. Very spongy fat cover is over the ribs and around the tail head. In fact, “rounds” or “pones” are beginning to be obvious. Some fat is around the vulva and in the crotch.

8: Fat – The cow very fleshy and over-conditioned. Spinous processes are almost impossible to palpate. The cow has large fat deposits over the ribs, around the tail head and below the vulva. “Rounds” or “pones” are obvious.

9: Extremely fat – The cow is obviously extremely wasty and patchy and looks blocky. The tail head and hips are buried in fatty tissue and “rounds” or “pones” of fat are protruding. Bone structure no longer is visible and barely palpable. The animal’s mobility even might be impaired by large fatty deposits.

Udder and teat quality definitely influence the profitability of beef production. Poor quality or injuries and disease of udders are a leading cause of culling and thereby lower cow longevity and lifetime productivity. Although larger udders have been associated with higher milk production and calf weaning weight, excessively large, pendulous udders and large teats may present difficulty for a calf to nurse, and thereby calf growth and weaning weight may be affected negatively. In general, more tightly supported udders and smaller teats should be considered desirable; however, the extremes of these conditions likely become detrimental at some point.

Phenotype

Deliberate, annual evaluation of udder quality is an essential component of cow-calf production. The Beef Improvement Federation recommends scoring udder suspension and teat size annually on cows within 24 hours of the cow giving birth. These subjective numerical scores (see table below) can easily be assigned in the pasture. Scores should be assigned according to the worst quarter of the cow’s udder. To ensure consistency and facilitate comparison of records, preferably one person should evaluate all cows each year and across years. Written notes about abnormal shapes or characteristics other than udder suspension and teat size may be useful.

Genetic Evaluation

Udder characteristics are highly heritable and therefore can be efficiently changed with selection.1 Substantial variation in udder dimensions can even be observed in herds that overall have good udders.2 Shape of udder or teats can also influence calf performance.3,4,5

While highly correlated, udder and teat scores should be considered as separate traits and analyzed in a bivariate analysis. Using a simple repeatability model and including age of the cow as a fixed covariate should be sufficient, along with contemporary group of the calf at the time the score is taken. A simple linear model is sufficient for the analysis of the scored data. The EPD should be published on the score scale.

Usage

While not an economically relevant trait some organizations have emphasized the improvement of udder and teat structure in order to improve the perception of their cattle. These organizations have an implied breeding goal for the improvement of udder and teat structure. Developing enhanced culling codes will improve the understanding of how udder and teat defects impact culling, and thus, stayability EPDs.

Teat and Udder Scores. (2021, April 13). BIF Guidelines Wiki. Retrieved 22:30, February 20, 2025 from http://guidelines. beefimprovement.org/index.php?title=Teat_and_Udder_Scores&oldid=2396.

1. 1 Bradford, H. L., D. W. Moser, J. Minick Bormann, and R. L. Weaber. 2015. Estimation of genetic parameters for udder traits in Hereford cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 93:2663–2668.
2. 2 Tolleson, M. W., C. A. Gill, A. D. Herring, P. K. Riggs, J. E. Sawyer, J. O. Sanders, and D. G. Riley. 2017. Association of udder traits with single nucleotide polymorphisms in crossbred Bos indicus-Bos taurus cows. J. Anim. Sci. 95:2399–2407.
3. 3 Kersey DeNise, R. S., D. E. Ray, A. M. Lane, V. L. Rundle, and M. Torabi. 1987. Relationships among udder shape, udder capacity, cow longevity and calf weights. J. Anim. Sci. 65:366–372.
4. 4 Frisch, J. E. 1982. The use of teat-size measurements or calf weaning weight as an aid to selection against teat defects in cattle. Anim. Prod. 32:127–133.
5. 5 Riley, D. G., J. O. Sanders, R. E. Knutson, and D. K. Lunt. 2001. Comparison of F1 Bos indicus × Hereford cows in central Texas: II. Udder, mouth, longevity, and lifetime productivity. J. Anim. Sci. 79:1439–1449.

The veterinarian-
client-patient relationship (VCPR)

The veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) is the basis for interaction among veterinarians, their clients and their patients and is critical to the health of animals.

Herd Health Issues, NDSU College of Agriculture

Herd Health Management, Recommended Practices for Improving Herd Health, Goal of Biosecurity programs

Estimated calving date (283 days)

*Leap years: If the breed date is between May 22 (prior to leap year) and Feb. 28 (leap year), then subtract one day from calf date. Use www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html to verify the calf date by adding 283 days to the breed date for specific years.

The North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is an AAVLD accredited, full-service laboratory offering toxicology, bacteriology, virology, molecular diagnostic, clinical and anatomic pathology, parasitology and serology testing services to veterinarians and the general public.

NDSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
4035 19th Ave. N.
Fargo, ND 58102
701-231-8307