Type Classification Update

A further 161 British White cattle classifications were conducted by the NBDC in 2024, bringing the total number of assessments to 448 in the third year of the breed’s participation in the scheme so far.

List of animals classified EX or VG to 31 Dec 2024.pdf

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Female scores

Looking at the data for female classifications (bull scores will be analysed separately), we can see that there have been 411 female assessments conducted to the end of 2024. This represents a total of 348 individual cows, as some of these have been classified two or three times over the three year period.

Overall scores for female classifications (411 completed)

	EX	VG	GP	G	F	P
Total	75	203	111	19	3	0
	18.2%	49.4%	27%	4.6%	0.7%	0%
of which:
1st/2nd calvers (capped VG89)	0	101	85	18	3	0
3rd calvers (capped EX93)	9	41	16	1	0	0
4th calvers and up (capped EX97)	66	61	10	0	0	0

To properly understand the breakdown of which scores have been achieved, the female data has been sorted by number of calvings at the time of assessment. This is because 1st and 2nd calvers’ scores are capped at VG89, 3rd calvers at EX93, and 4th calvers and up at EX97, to allow for longevity to be properly taken into account. The below graph shows a visual representation of the above table, where we can see that 18.2% of the female classifications have been given an overall classification of EX, all of which were achieved by third-calving cows and up, as expected with the capping of 1st and 2nd calvers at VG89. When we look at the breakdown of the VG scores which make up 49.4% of the total, we can see that approximately half of those were awarded to 1st or 2nd calvers, indicating that they were scored at or near their maximum achievable at the time of assessment, which is an encouraging insight on the quality of the young cows being introduced into the national breeding herd over the last three years. The vast majority of the GP, G and F scores also came from 1st and 2nd calvers, and breeders could expect to see many of those young cows’ scores improve with repeated classifications as they age.

94.6% of all overall scores awarded were EX, VG, or GP, with similar trends visible when we view the data broken down into the four trait categories (opposite page). The highest scores have been seen in both the Body category with 94.6% scoring EX, VG, or GP, and in the Beef traits at 94.2% EX, VG, or GP.  The next highest scoring category has been Legs, with 90.5% of females scoring within the top three bands, the number dropping slightly to 87.3% in the Mammary category, though this is still a remarkably positive statistic considering the number of 1st and 2nd calvers’ assessments included there.

It is interesting to note that this data encompasses females from a total of 54 different breeders’ prefixes, living in herds of all sizes and management systems, and representing a wide variety of breed genetics. Whilst there are not yet enough records to make meaningful analyses based on this extra information, it will be increasingly possible within the next few years - with growing participation from breeders - to identify trends such as which bloodlines consistently produce high-scoring traits in any given category, allowing the practical application of this data to help inform breeding decisions. Breeders’ feedback on the scheme so far has been overwhelmingly positive, the classification system having given herd owners another tool to identify structural correctness within their animals, and in many cases breeders have reported that the assessment has confirmed their own thinking and given them a quantifiable mark to take into account when selecting animals for breeding.

Bull scores

Looking at the scores for the 37 assessments completed on bulls - all at two years of age or above - we can see than 100% scored either EX or VG. The table below also shows that 9 of the 37 assessments were done on bulls aged under 3 years, whose scores are therefore capped at VG89. It should be noted that there is one technical anomaly in this table; a bull which the inspector chose to give a score of EX90 (above the cap for two-year-old bulls) as he was nearing three years of age at classification.

Overall scores for bull classifications (37 completed)

	EX	VG	Other
Total	21	16	0
	56.8%	43.2%	0%
of which:
2-3 years old (capped VG89)	1	8	0
Over 3 years old (capped EX97)	20	8	0

The breakdown within the four trait categories is equally encouraging, showing that 100% of the bulls assessed scored either EX or VG on both the Beef and Body traits, and 89.8% scored either EX or VG for Rump, and 89.1% EX or VG for Legs.

Though the NBDC Type Classification assessment criteria cannot be directly compared to the BWCS Bull Inspections (mandatory for all young bulls intended for full registration since 2017), it would be reasonable to deduce that the BWCS Bull Inspections have had the intended effect of, where possible, helping to identify and exclude bulls displaying prominent structural faults and/or those which do not meet the expected Breed Standard. As the vast majority of type classified bulls will have also undergone BWCS Bull Inspection (just two included in this Type Classification data set were born before BWCS Bull Inspections came in), it is useful for the BWCS to see the ongoing Type Classification of Society-inspected bulls as they mature, and to know that the general quality of the bulls making it through to working in pedigree herds is high. You can read more about the ongoing development of the Society-conducted young bull inspections here.

How do I use this information?

If a breeder wanted to take Type Classification scores into account when making breeding decisions for their herd, or when purchasing new animals, there are a few points to note to do this effectively. As has already been mentioned, this scheme has only been available for British White cattle since 2022, which means that a limited amount of data is available so far. It will take a few years of accumulating this information to establish any trends, either within individual bloodlines, whole herds, or the breed at large. As also mentioned earlier, it is helpful to know the age at which an animal achieved its most recent classification, as this context will help you to interpret the score.

Remember that Type Classification is just one method of evaluating your cattle, and should only be taken into consideration alongside all of the other means by which we decide on the animals to include in a breeding programme, and which ones to leave out. There will of course be plenty of animals which do not score amongst the top percentages, but which still deserve their place in a herd for a number of reasons, and Type Classification scores should not become the ‘be all and end all’ when making our breeding selections.

A few practical applications for using the scores at this point in the scheme’s uptake could be:

•  Identifying individuals in your herd with severe structural faults to decide whether or not they are suitable for future breeding

•  Sourcing stock bulls or replacement females with good scores in the particular traits you wish to improve in your herd

•  Offering animals for sale which have been classified themselves, or for youngstock, having type classified animals in their pedigree to give buyers added information and confidence

New Society contribution announced

It was decided at the August 2024 meeting of the Management Committee that the Society would continue to contribute up to £200 (inc. VAT) toward the payment for any herd’s initial classification visit, and that it would also increase this offering by paying £100 (inc. VAT) for one visit per herd per year to any herd previously classified. It is hoped that this will not only keep encouraging more herds to participate in the scheme initially, but also encourage more breeders to keep up with classifications each year.

What is Type Classification?

Conducted by the National Bovine Data Centre (NBDC), Type Classification is a voluntary, independent, individual cattle assessment scheme. An inspector assesses and scores each animal on a range of conformation criteria, which are used to calculate a final score.

Scores are capped for younger animals so that longevity can be taken into account as they age, and herds can either be assessed annually or less frequently, as per the preference of the breeder. The BWCS displays an animal’s highest score after it’s name on the online database, as well as on pedigree certificates, in sale catalogues, and in Society advertising.

Learn more on our website: www.britishwhitecattle.co.uk/type-classification

British White breeder and Management Committee member Martin Osborne considers: How can tools such as independent Type Classification be used for bull selection and breed improvement?

Martin says: “Dairy herds have vast information about yields and conformation, as well as the benefit of AI to use bulls from far and wide. So how can beef breeders learn from this? Conformation is key for any animal to perform weather for milk or beef production.

“There are some excellent cattle within our breed, and now with Type Classification also available for the British White we can get a trained, independent view of our individual animals to put a value on their conformation traits. These values can then be used as one of many tools on which to base our breeding decisions.

“So what should we look for when considering keeping a bull calf for breeding? It should of course have the breed type and markings which meet Society standards, but above all should have very good conformation, and preferably be out of a good cow. Would the developing calf be something we would use in our own herd? If we are not sure then maybe it should not be retained. A stock bull has the biggest influence of any individual in the breeding herd, so it is always an important decision.

“Cows scoring ‘EX’ mated with bulls scoring ‘EX’ are more likely to produce a calf of a similar standard. It is also in the interest of the breed as a whole that breeders select only the better bulls for breeding, and that we have them Type Classified to measure this quantitatively. This helps both buyers and sellers by adding value to individual animals, whilst maintaining a high standard of quality within the breed at the same time.”