Body Condition Scores in Goats

This video describes how to evaluate body condition score in goats. Body condition scoring (BCS) is a simple, fast method of assessing the overall condition, or the thinness or fatness, of your goats. It provides an indication of available fat reserves that can be used by the animal in periods of high energy demand, stress, or suboptimal nutrition and allows producers to make better management decisions. Goats should be maintained with a moderate amount of body condition. When overall body condition starts to decrease in the herd and goats become too thin (under-conditioned), it is a sign that managerial intervention is needed such as supplemental feeding, deworming, pasture rotation, etc. Conversely, when overall body condition starts to increase in the herd and animals carry too much fat (over-conditioned), it is a sign that the producer should reduce supplemental feeding. Ignoring an animal’s body condition and waiting to intervene until goats become either too thin or too fat may result in production and(or) animal losses or decreased profits from overfeeding. Therefore, producers need to develop skills in assessing body condition of their goats so that a desired moderate body condition can be maintained. With practice, evaluating the BCS of an animal will only take about 10-15 seconds. By adding BCS as a regular part of your management program, you can more effectively monitor your feeding and herd health program for a healthy and productive herd.