Beef cattle body condition photographs

Photographs of beef cattle matched against fat depth (mm), muscle scores and body condition scores that were captured on beef cattle at NSW DPI sites in 2021. Fat and muscling data were collected as part of a separate NSW DPI project. Photographs were taken opportunistically to develop a library showing cattle appearance across different body conditions for welfare assessment.\nLineage: Fat depth (mm) was measured by a certified technician using an ultrasound machine at the Rib (between the 12th and 13th ribs) and P8 (rump) sites. Oil marks visible in some photographs indicate the locations of fat scanning. Muscle and BCS were assigned by an experienced researcher who followed cattle out from the crush and observed them from various angles in a yard. Muscle score is a point in time assessment that classifies animals into five different classes by a declining score of A to E. Body condition was scored on a 6 point scale from 0 to 5, where 0 indicates the poorest body condition. Each score allowed for +/- to indicate the higher or lower and of a particular score. BCS2 was assigned by the researcher conducting ultrasound scanning crush-side. Photographs were taken using DSLR cameras by researchers immediately after cattle had been scored for muscle and body condition.