Body Condition Scoring of Goats in Extensive Conditions

Abstract

Summary A method of body condition scoring of goats in extensive production systems was proposed in this paper. The purpose was to develop a diagnostic tool, easy to use and reliable enough to explain the production parameters of the animals. Slaughtering of goats of different genotypes (Corsican, Sardinian, Creole) showed that sternal fat was correlated with the body condition score and the total quantity of visceral adipose tissues. During the production cycle, a clear negative relationship was found between body condition and milk yield. Using the body condition profile established around the period of mating it was possible to make a partial interpretation of the causes of subfertility observed in extensive rearing systems.