196 Udder and teat score changes with advancing age in crossbred beef cows and heifers

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2019-12, Vol.97 (Supplement_3), p.28-29
• Main Authors: Montgomery, Sarah M, Parish, Jane A, Rutherford, William C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ORAL PRESENTATIONS
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz258.056

Udder suspension and teat scores assess mammary organ conformation at calving. Study objectives were to evaluate udder and teat score changes with advancing age in crossbred beef cattle. Fall- (n = 436) and spring-calving (n = 394) Bos taurus crossbred primiparous heifers (n = 87) and multiparous cows (n = 743) in Prairie, MS were assigned udder (1 to 9 scale: 1 = very pendulous, 9 = very tight) and teat (1 to 9 scale: 1 = very large, 9 = very small) scores with 24 h of parturition. Effects of calving season (FALL: August through October; SPRING: February through April) and age (HEIFER: < 3 yr; YOUNG: 3 to 5 yr; MID: 6 to 10 yr; OLD: > 10 yr) and their interaction on annual change in teat and udder scores were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS. Udder score change was not affected by season (P = 0.92) or age x season interaction (P = 0.37) but was influenced by age (P < 0.01). Udder score annual decrease was greater (P < 0.01) for HEIFER (-1.4 ± 0.3) than YOUNG (-0.3 ± 0.2), MID (-0.3 ± 0.2) or OLD (-0.3 ± 0.4). Likewise, teat score change was not affected by season (P = 0.50) or age x season interaction (P = 0.26) but was influenced by age (P < 0.01). Teat score annual decrease was greater (P < 0.01) for HEIFER (-1.5 ± 0.3) than YOUNG (-0.5 ± 0.2) or MID (-0.4 ± 0.2) but not different (P = 0.14) from OLD (-0.8 ± 0.3). Teat score change was not different (P = 0.23) among YOUNG, MID, and OLD. Results suggest that udder and teat scores change the subsequent year at a more rapid rate in heifers than in cows up to 10 yr of age.