Relationships between body weight, condition score and heart girth changes in Boran cattle.

Body weight, heart girth and condition score were monitored in 75 Boran cows over an eight-month period. Condition score was highly correlated with both weight and heart girth when these variables were measured at the end of the dry season. Over the whole period the correlation coefficient between weight and condition score was r = 0.76 and the relationship was linear. When the data were broken down by lactation status the correlation between condition score and weight of lactating cows was lower but was improved by adjusting for differences in cow weight. Heart girth and condition score over the whole period were linearly related as was heart girth and weight. A change of one point in a nine-score system was equivalent to a change of about 24 kg.