Page 24 - Demo

1st Int. Transborder Conf. of the Timor Island: Timor %u2013 Science without borderDili, 7-8 May 202523Assessment of Body Condition Scoring in Bali Cattle During Drought Periods in Bobonaro Municipality, Timor-LesteF.S.L. Soares, E.A. Serr%u00e3o, G . Gomes, C.M. Code, L. Tavares and A.B.M. AfonsoDepartment of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universidade Nacional Timor Loro-Sae, Rua Acanuno, Hera-Dili, Timor-Leste.AbstractBody Condition Scoring (BCS) is an essential method for evaluating the nutritional status and overall condition of livestock, particularly in periods of resource scarcity such as droughts. This study aimed to assess the BCS of 200 Bali cattle (Bos sondaicus), ranging in age from 15 to 30 months, in various sub-districts of Bobonaro Municipality, along with 25 bulls from an intensive rearing system. The assessment involved morphometric measurements, including live weight, body length, hip and shoulder heights, heart girth, and leg length. These measurements were crucial for deriving a predictive equation for BCS. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated that heart girth, body length, and body weight gain (BWG) were significant predictors of BCS, yielding a strong correlation with an R%u00b2 value of 0.966 for the sample of 25 intensively reared bulls. The BCS scoring system was developed to range from one to five, based on the visual and physical assessment of several anatomical features. Cattle assigned a score of 1 displayed prominent bony structures, such as their hooks, vertebrae, ribs, and hollow hindquarters, whereas cattle with a score of 5 exhibited well-rounded hindquarters, ample soft tissue coverage, and well-defined musculature. The average BCS measurements across the sub-districts revealed the following values: 2.51 in Cailaco, 2.54 in Maliana, 2.32 in Atabae, and 2.41 in Balibo. The overall average BCS for the municipality was calculated to be 2.44. Statistical analyses indicated that there were no significant differences in BCS among the four extensive production systems (P>0.05). In contrast, comparisons between the intensively reared and extensively reared cattle showed significant differences in both BCS and BWG (P<0.05). Specifically, the BWG of the intensive system averaged 356 g/d, while the extensive system averaged only 210 g/d. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring body condition in Bali cattle during drought conditions to ensure optimal animal welfare and production efficiency. Effective management strategies may need to be implemented to enhance the health and productivity of cattle under extensive rearing conditions. Keywords: Bali Cattle, Body Condition Scoring, Production System, Drought, Weight Gain, Extensive Rearing.