Body depth

The first conformation trait which is scored in a range from 1 to 9 is body depth. The deeper the cow, the higher the score (see bottom part of figure 1).


The relation between body depth score with the culling rate
(adjusted for herd-year-season effect and production level)

A score of 1 means a very shallow cow, whereas a 9 score means a cow with great depth of rib and capacity.

The length of rear rib has been chosen internationally as a degree for body depth. In this way, all the classifier's attention is focussed on one fixed point, which contributes significantly to the accuracy and objectivity of body depth scoring.


Veepro Magazine, April 1995, Volume 22

Dutch Cattle