How do you classify your cattle?

Basing on physical appearance this will be  some sort of a guide on how to classify the quality of your cattle

Severely emaciated; starving and weak; no palpable fat detectable over backbone or ribs; tailhead and individual ribs prominently visible. Normal production systems cannot maintain cattle in this condition

Emaciated; but not weakened; visible muscle tissue atrophy particularly in hindquarters; backbone, tailhead and ribs prominently visible

Very thin; no fat over ribs or in brisket; backbone sharp and easily visible, slight muscle atrophy

Borderline; individual ribs noticeable but overall fat cover is lacking; increased musculature through shoulders and hindquarters; hips and backbone slightly rounded versus sharp appearance.

Moderate; increased fat cover over ribs, generally only 12th and 13th ribs are individually distinguishable; tailhead full, but not rounded.

Good; back, ribs and tailhead slightly rounded; slight fat deposition beginning to appear in brisket.

Fat; cow appears fleshy and carries fat over the back, tailhead and brisket; ribs are not visible; area around vulva, rectum and udder contain moderate fat deposits.

Very fat; squared appearance due to excess fat over back, tailhead, and hindquarters; extreme fat deposition in brisket over ribs, around vulva, rectum and within udder.

Obese; similar to very fat, but to a greater degree; majority of fat deposited in udder limits effective lactation. Under normal production systems cattle in this condition score are rare.

Now which cattle are you?

Pictures and text courtesy of Crystalyx

Philippines: islands of opportunities

Even with the current situation right now in which the country is being flooded specially in Metro Manila area due to monsoon rains - still the country's economy is doing well.


A BOOMING economy and growing middle class provide fertile ground for increasing beef and lamb exports to the Philippines.
The Philippines has developed rapidly in recent years, and is projected to become the largest economy in South-East Asia - and 16th largest in the world - by 2050.

Australian beef exports have grown five-fold to the island nation since 2005. In 2011, Australia’s beef exports to the Philippines totalled 19,800 tonnes swt, while lamb exports were 411 tonnes.

Beef consumption is currently estimated at 4kg per head (compared to 34kg in Australia). Local production accounts for 60 per cent of consumption; however, the shortfall from local production continues to grow.

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Article courtesy of farmweekly

Philippine's Agriculture Sector Continues to Grow

The DA said the combined positive performance of the three subsectors served as a cushion, as the fishery subsector registered negative growth due to dwindling fish population caused by overfishing, illegal fishing practices, and successive typhoons during the second semester of 2011.

Total farm production was valued at P1.4 trillion at current prices, 11.5 per cent more than in 2010, it said.

The crops subsector — which contributed one-half or 49.6 per cent to total agricultural output — registered a 4.82 per cent increase, led by palay (paddy rice) and corn.

Likewise, palay harvest totaled 16.68 million metric tons (MMT), 5.8 per cent more than in 2010 (15.77 MMT), while corn production amounted to 6.97 MMT, 9.3 per cent more than in 2010 (6.38 MMT).

Sugarcane production also grew significantly to 28.38 MMT, 58.3 per cent more than in 2010 (17.93 MMT). Tobacco, pineapple and rubber also posted positive gains last year.

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