MARELLAN ROYALLA UDDER SCORES (U.S.) In order to provide more relevant and helpful information for prospective clients, especially those seeking to retain replacement females, we give our cows an udder score the day they calve, at the same time as we weigh the calf. It is adjudicated on that day as the first day of a calf’s life is the most important day for a cow’s udder to function. It is a judgment on a cow’s udder size and shape, and teat size and shape. These udder scores are NOT an assessment on the milking ability of a cow. It is important to consider that the dam of each bull will only contribute 50% of the bulls ‘genetic’ udder. Udder scores are obviously relative to age, i.e. an U.S. 4 on a 10 year old cow is a much better udder than an U.S. 4 on a first calf heifer.
Udder Score Descriptors 1
A ‘picture perfect’ udder and teats
2
A top grade udder and teats
3
A good average udder and teats
4
Functional udder and teats
5
Downgraded to terminal breeding herd
6
Culled
Royalla and Marellan Shape Score Explanation 1
2
3
4
S
S1: a small sized
S2: a smaller sized
S3: a smaller sized
calf with above average looking head size, bone size or thickness.
Marellan & Royalla – birth weighed and assessed, to ensure the best are breed from
M
M1: a medium
M2: a medium
M3: a medium
M4: a medium sized
T
T1: a taller sized
T2: a taller sized
T3: a larger sized
Marellan & Royalla – we the cull the culls
calf with a below average looking head size, bone size and thickness.
sized calf with a below average looking head size, bone size and thickness.
calf with a below average looking head size, bone size and thickness.
calf with average looking head size, bone size and thickness.
sized calf with average looking head size, bone size and thickness. The most common score is M2.
calf with average looking head size, bone size and thickness.
sized calf with above average looking head size, bone size or thickness.
calf with above average looking head size, bone size and thickness. All T3 calves are Automatic culls.
calf that is too big in the head, too heavy boned or too big in the shoulders. All M4 calves are Automatic culls.
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